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Espionage, often dubbed the world's second-oldest profession, is as ancient as civilization itself. From the covert agents of ancient Egypt and Rome to the tech-savvy cyber warriors of today, the art of spying has evolved dramatically.

Yet, its essence remains unchanged: a quest for power and information. Throughout history, spies have shaped the destinies of nations, whether during the tumultuous times of revolutions or the tense days of the Cold War.

Today, in the digital age, espionage is being redefined, but the intrigue and motivations behind it remain as compelling as ever.#truelifespystories #espionage

Welcome to dead drop. This is your host Philip Thompson bringing you the latest intel on the world of espionage.

In this week's dossier:

• Former KGB double agent Oleg Gordievsky has died
• National Archives exhibits declassified MI5 Kim Philby documents
• Fire at Heathrow has all the hallmarks of state-sponsored sabotage

• Top secret US war plans sent to journalist by mistake

Stay vigilant. Trust no one. And remember, this Dead Drop will self-destruct in 5... 4... 3...

Ways to support the True Life Spy Stories podcast:Buy Me a Coffee: ☕ https://bmc.link/philipthompsonDonate via PayPal: 💸 paypal.me/PhilipT284

Ways to support the podcast:

Buy Me a Coffee: ☕ https://bmc.link/philipthompson

Donate via PayPal: 💸 paypal.me/PhilipT284

Oleg Gordievsky was the highest ranking KGB officer to ever become a British spy. He almost single-handedly shaped world events at one of the most dangerous times in global history during the Cold War when humanity peered over the precipice of nuclear holocaust. The plan to rescue him from deep behind the Iron Curtain after he was compromised was thought to be virtually impossible. While to his motherland he remains a traitor, to the Western world he is a hero that risked it all for the sake of the democratic freedoms most of us take for granted.This is the gripping tale of Oleg Gordievsky.

Dedicated to the memory of Oleg Gordievsky: 10 October 1938 - 4 March 2025

Further reading and sources 📚: (affiliate links) 🛒📕 Next Stop Execution by Oleg Gordievsky - https://amzn.to/3oQPA7U📘 The Spy and the Traitor by Ben McIntyre - https://amzn.to/3SniRVh

Welcome to dead drop. This is your host Philip Thompson bringing you the latest intel on the world of espionage.

In this week's dossier:

• Israeli-Arab Resident Arrested for Spying for West Bank Terrorists
• UK and Russia Engage in Tit-for-Tat Diplomatic Expulsions
• Further Details Emerge of the Bulgarian Trio Convicted of Spying for Russia
• A Chinese Court Sentences Convicted Spy to Death

Stay vigilant. Trust no one. And remember, this Dead Drop will self-destruct in 5... 4... 3...

Ways to support the True Life Spy Stories podcast:Buy Me a Coffee: ☕ https://bmc.link/philipthompsonDonate via PayPal: 💸 paypal.me/PhilipT284

Ways to support the podcast:Buy Me a Coffee: ☕ https://bmc.link/philipthompsonDonate via PayPal: 💸 paypal.me/PhilipT284When a man calling himself “HECKENSCHÜTZE”, or “Sniper” in German wrote a letter to the US Embassy in Bern in April 1958, the West had no idea of the scale and magnitude of the revelations that would soon follow.The mysterious writer insisted that he would deal only with Director of the FBI J Edgar Hoover. From the outset, the relationship between spy and spy master was built on a lie. The CIA took over the running of the operation, all the while masquerading as the Bureau.The Agency soon realised that their informant was not just another spy. They deduced that he was a senior member of Polish intelligence with access to an unprecedented level of top secret Soviet information. As time went on, Agent Sniper became arguably the most valuable asset the West had during the early to mid-phase of the Cold War. Agent Sniper exposed 1,693 communist spies, agents and informants operating covertly within the apparatus of Western intelligence. Behind the mask of 'Agent Sniper' was Colonel Michal nzGoleniewski. He was a complex figure and an expert at compartmentalising his multiple identities. His story is however not just one of daring espionage; it's also a tale of deception, paranoia, and a bizarre descent into delusion. The country he risked everything to help exploited his flaws, the CIA driving him so far down the rabbit hole that he ultimately lost his mind. This is the tale of Michał Goleniewski, the spy who was left out in the cFurther reading:📕 Agent Sniper: The Cold War Superagent and the Ruthless Head of the CIA, Tim Tate - https://amzn.to/4ishMrA📕 The Spy Who Would Be Tsar: The Mystery of Michal Goleniewski and the Far-Right Underground, Kevin Coogan - https://amzn.to/4ishMrA#philipthompson #truelifespystories #agentsniper

This is the story of Alexander Dmitrievich Ogorodnik, a mid-level Soviet diplomat turned CIA spy. Ogorodnik was a Soviet diplomat who was recruited to spy on the Soviet Union while stationed in Bogotá, Colombia. Codenamed Agent Trigon, he was later transferred to the Soviet Foreign Ministry in Moscow where he photographed secret diplomatic cables and requested a suicide pill from the CIA in case he was caught. His handler, Martha 'Marti' Peterson was the first female CIA case officer to operate within Moscow. At the height of the Cold War, she had the daunting task of running one of the CIA's most valuable spy prospects.Agent Trigon was ultimately betrayed by a CIA translator and arrested by the KGB. What happened next is a story that not even the best spy authors could come up with...Sources and further reading 📚: (affiliate links) 🛒📕 Spycraft: The Secret History of the CIA's Spytechs, from Communism to Al-Qaeda - https://amzn.to/3ZVT1LO📘 The Widow Spy - https://amzn.to/3GY0lh5Ways to support the podcast:Buy Me a Coffee: ☕ ⁠https://bmc.link/philipthompson⁠Donate via PayPal: 💸 paypal.me/PhilipT284

Welcome to dead drop. This is your host Philip Thompson bringing you the latest intel on the world of espionage.

In this week's dossier:

- The CIA are studying AI versions of World Leaders

- British nuclear submarine keeps a close eye on Russian spy ship

- Details of a Russian Spy Ring Unravel in the British Courts; and

- The CIA says that Covid-19 ‘probably leaked’ from Chinese lab.

Stay vigilant. Trust no one. And remember, this Dead Drop will self-destruct in 5... 4... 3...

Ways to support the True Life Spy Stories podcast:

It's a true life spy story omnibus... volume 2!

This is a collection of the True Life Spy Story videos uploaded to my YouTube channel over 2024.