Putin’s spies talk about false life in Argentina and cheating on their own children: “We don’t know Russian anymore”

Russian spies Vladimir Putin Published at one time Prisoner exchange between Russia and Western powers They counted What was his life like under a false identity?, in which they hide everything from their children and forget even their own mother tongue. Dispatched illegal agents Buenos Aires Breaking their silence after their identities were made public by the Russian regime, they were greeted with respect by the leader. The Kremlin.

Artyom Dultsev And Anna Dultseva40 years old, They were arrested in December 2022 Slovenia. They arrived in the small European country in 2017 Argentine passport. lived in Ljubljana with their children under the names Ludwig Gish And Maria Rosa Mayor Muñoz And Using an art gallery and computer business as cover. Both were part of a giant spy network Moscow Spread all over the world Argentina As a vulnerable target for this type of intrusion.

The delicate incident also raised several questions: How many irregular Russian spies are operating in the South American country? What are the failed controls? Is there any formal explanation from the Russian Embassy to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs?

Slovenian justice Last Wednesday, the Slovenian couple was sentenced to more than a year and a half in prison “Espionage and falsification of documents”, a penalty equal to the time they had already spent in custody. The next day, the Putin personally welcomed them in MoscowAfter they were exchanged as part of a larger prisoner exchange between Russia and the West, the largest Cold War.

The Kremlin agreed Both were “illegal” agents of Russian intelligence., that is, spies who are not informed by embassies and operate without visible links to Moscow. They are trained for years to impersonate foreigners, then infiltrate different structures and are sent to other countries. Even their own children do not know that their parents are Russian.

In an interview with Russian public television on Monday night, Anna Dultseva He recalls the moment on the flight to Moscow when he announced to his children that they were Russians and not Argentines. “We told the children that we are Russians, they are Russians, and we are Dultchevs”he said.

The couple explained that He does not speak Russian with his children, only Spanish. At that point Anna Dultseva still finds it difficult to speak her mother tongue, he said. When one drowns, “Don’t you think [tu] Language, you permanently control yourself when we come [a Rusia] We realized that we can speak Russian nowHe said.

Upon receiving them on the airport tarmac, Putin greeted them “Good evening” in Spanish..

During the interview, the Russian journalist said The two agents “met in a nightclub, got married and disappeared: their work began.” The reporter also pointed out that Dulseva was originally from the city Nizhny-Novgorod, had an art gallery in Slovenia. Her husband, originally from Bashkortostan, A “System Startup”.

“The Dultchevs raised their children as Spanish-speaking Catholics. Now they are going to find out what Porsche is all about [sopa de remolacha]” Russian correspondent commented. Artyom Dultsev said that while they were detained, a Russian agent regularly visited them and “sent him congratulations” from Putin.

In the report, his daughter Sofia utters one of the first phrases she learned in Russian: “I have two grandmothers, Russia is very beautiful” Before his mother’s encouragement in Spanish. “The most important thing for us is family, family is our country”, Artiom Dultsev said, it’s hard to consider that they hid something so basic from their own children. Will they be trusted now?

His wife said he felt a “Big thanks” to Putin And that couple “Service to Russia” will continue.

After the Dultsev family returned to Russia, the Kremlin also recognized that they were the children of spies. On the flight to Moscow they discovered they were Russians. “It was only revealed that the children of the illegal immigrants who arrived yesterday on the flight from Ankara were Russians. They don’t speak Russian“said a Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

For years or even decades, the term “undercover” has been used to refer to Russian intelligence agents living abroad, gathering intelligence for Moscow under false identities. “They don’t even know who Putin is. “This is how secrets work, who make such sacrifices for their work and dedication to their service,” Peskov added. Ukraine.

In order to secure the return of ten Russians, Putin agreed to release some of his staunchest domestic critics, some of them former collaborators. Alexei NavalnyThe most famous dissident died in an Arctic prison in February.

elder brother And Artyom Dultsev Arrived in Ljubljana in 2017 Argentina. She, under the wrong name Maria Rosa Mayor Muñoz, devoted his time to selling works of art online. He, with the name Ludwig GishThere was one Start A technology company called DSM&IT Software Organize your customers’ mailboxes.

Their children lived a school life like other children in the neighborhood, and it was difficult for them to learn the language they had learned so quickly. The story they both repeat each time as to why they chose that destination is that they are tired of living insecure. Argentina. “The streets are hard over there,” they told their neighbors, without specifying much. Their registered address Argentina O’Higgins 2191In City of Buenos Aires.

English newspaper Guardian He interviewed a dozen of the couple’s neighbors in Slovenia. Everyone had the same opinion about these Argentinians spoke Spanish at home A little English for others. “They were kind“,”good”. There is nothing to suspect.

Until one afternoon in the first days of last December, a raid broke into the house, conducted a thorough search and arrested them. They also seized a substantial sum of money suspected to have been used to pay other spy agencies. The children, who did not know what was really happening, were transferred to a social care unit.

Authorities accused the couple of being part of a SVRForeign Intelligence Service Russia.

They would have chosen Slovenia For one simple reason: little counterintelligence and easy access to other European countries. In fact, its activity took place more than outside the country. Anna DultsevaHe was also a constant traveler according to his social networks. He did it under the guise of promoting his art gallery and his online sales. Like his wife, Artem He also used his job to travel. This has fueled suspicions of links with other Russian spies stationed on the continent.

Within hours of their arrest, the The Kremlin Should have tried to contact the Slovenian authorities to confirm the nationality of its members and prevent the arrest from being made public. However, they could do nothing.

Last Wednesday they were charged with espionage and flown to Russia The largest prisoner exchange between Moscow and the West since the Cold War.

(With information from AFP)