On January 28, 2026, U.S. authorities charged Nomma Zarubina, accused of covertly working for Russian intelligence (FSB) by cultivating networks within American think tanks, political circles, activists, and journalists. Zarubina used deceptive tactics to establish influence and gather intelligence, a case reflecting a broader pattern of Russian espionage operations aimed at penetrating U.S. institutions. The prosecution highlighted unusual methods, including an episode of erratic communication with the FBI. This case underscores continuing Russian intelligence efforts to recruit locals and build covert channels in Western democracies and resulted in heightened attention and counterintelligence responses by U.S. security agencies.
Category: Intelligence & Espionage
Subcategory: Human Intelligence (HUMINT)
Incident Type: Recruitment of locals
Country: United States of America
Source report: www.rferl.org/a/russia-…
