The United States Central Intelligence Agency reportedly opened a Telegram channel to reach out to Russians, a development highlighted by CNN referencing sources from the intelligence service. The channel posted a video in Russian that CNN links to a CIA approach, showing how individuals could contact the agency anonymously. The message following the video states that the CIA seeks information about the Russian economy or the country’s top leadership. CNN notes that the channel is framed by CIA personnel as a means to gather useful data from Russian citizens while preserving the anonymity of those who choose to engage.
Additionally, a separate publication claims the CIA has built a Telegram presence for the first time to connect with people who felt drawn to communicate with American intelligence. This portrayal suggests the agency aims to encounter willing interlocutors and to establish a channel for dialogue that could yield actionable insights. CNN’s reporting emphasizes that the channel and its content are designed with the expectation of receiving information beneficial to the United States from Russian residents who decide to participate.
Earlier developments indicated another security action in Russia, with the FSB in the Novgorod region indicating that a man suspected of aiding Ukrainian intelligence was detained. The court ordered that the Russian individual be held for two months, reflecting ongoing tensions and counterintelligence activities that intersect with reports about foreign intelligence outreach. This sequence underscores how intelligence agencies monitor contact channels and how state authorities respond to suspected foreign influence operations, even as media outlets describe evolving efforts by Western intelligence services to solicit information from residents of Russia.