Russia discloses identity of top CIA spy in Moscow

Russia has publicized the identity of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)’s chief in the Russian capital, Moscow, as a spy row deepens between Washington and Moscow.

A spokesman for Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) on Friday revealed the name of the CIA station chief in Moscow to Russia’s Interfax news agency.

The name of the CIA chief appeared in a quote from the spokesman in a Russian-language article. The spymaster’s name was, however, removed from the quote in an English-language version.

The FSB spokesman said that back in 2011, his agency had “officially warned” the CIA station chief in Moscow over what it called “provocative recruiting moves towards Russian security services officers,” and threatened “reciprocal measures towards CIA officers.”

“We decided to warn our American colleagues and ask them to stop these activities,” the FSB agent later told Russia Today.

“We hoped our American colleagues would hear us, given that we also presented to them precise information about CIA officers making recruitment attempts in Moscow and who exactly was doing that.”

It is common practice for the intelligence agencies of the US and Russia to identify to each other their top officials in their respective embassies, but they are not identified publicly.

This comes after Russian authorities detained and expelled a US diplomat, identified as Ryan Fogle, on allegations of working undercover at the US embassy in Moscow.

The Russian FSB spokesman also said that, “In the case with Fogle, the CIA crossed ‘the red line’ and we were forced to react, observing official procedures.”

On May 14, Russian authorities detained Fogle, accusing him of attempting to recruit a Russian national to spy for the CIA. Fogle was ordered to leave Russia.

The FSB said that, at the time of capture, Fogle had been carrying “special technical equipment and written instructions for recruiting a Russian citizen.”

Russian officials say they were aware that Fogle worked for the CIA since his arrival in Moscow in April 2011.