5 Dastardly KGB Operations 

You’d think a “swallow” would be easy to spot when Randy from CIA accounting is bringing his super model girlfriend to the company Christmas party.

It feels like operation Pandora is running stronger than ever now ;)

Eric Durschmied wrote in his autobiography, that he was trapped on a visit to Russia. He met a young woman in the GUM store. She came onto him and they ended up back at his hotel room. A the high point of their time together, the door to the room suddenly flew open and a man with a camera took a photo of them in flagrante delecto. He said he kept his composure and just turned to the KGB man next to the camera man and asked if he could have an extra copy for his wife's lawyer, as he was getting divorced. He never heard anything else about it.

I’m a pretty low clearance soldier in the swedish army, and even we get training in how to be sufficiently paranoid about both our activity online, and how foreign powers (especially Russia) works to gain assets and piece together puzzles. They can do very long cons if you are important. By the time they have your weak spots and start applying pressure, you’re already close friends or even married to the agent. Don’t talk to strangers about what you do on your job, and shut them down if they bring it up.

So, I used to work for the DIA (like the CIA, but only for those that ate paint chips as children). In the standard read-on brief, the briefer reminded us that if you were at a bar and a hot blonde Russian girl was interested in you, then forget it. But...that's exactly how I met my hot, blonde Russian wife a mere 6 months or so before that brief haha. That was almost 10 years ago though; she's still here, and that job isn't.

1:00 - Chapter 1 - Sexpionage 4:25 - Chapter 2 - Bugging the US embassy 7:20 - Chapter 3 - Operation infektion 10:25 - Chapter 4 - The assassination of georgi markov 13:05 - Chapter 5 - Operation pandora

Between your assortment of channels I watch more of Simon than any other media source per day. Learn a lot more too!

You should do a full episode the aids story! This was actually the first time I've heard it. It doesn't seems to be a big one in America lol I'm pretty sure it was something we covered in a science or biology class when we were talking about viruses and bacteria and diseases and stuff like that. I think it would be a good one. Though it might be better suited for Into the Shadows or Decoding The Unknown more then Sideprojects

Russia is still doing stuff like that.Today they don't call it the KGB but outfits like the FSB contain the same cast of characters. Sewing division and chaos is still the tactic of choice.

Legend has it when Indonesia's Sukarno was confronted by the KGB with compromising photos he asked for more copies 😂 Spy fail

Bro Operation Pandora is going to plan way better than The Soviet Union or Russia could have ever predicted!

That stuff about "swallows" and "ravens" is a widely used practice known as "honey traps". It's not really as weird as the video makes it out to be. Some agents even goes as far as marrying their targets, to not only learn secret information, but also to gain influence over people in high positions, including their spouse, for the sake of the nation they're spying for. As for the recording device, it would depend on if they were allowed to check out the insides of it by whoever was in charge, and how they conducted their search protocols. It would be an insult to leave markings of damaging it right after receiving it as a diplomatic "gift", after all. So if they couldn't do it discreetly, then it would be up to someone to decide if they should take that chance or not.

I read a very detailed breakdown on the radio device used in the seal and it was, in fact, extremely clever. Could it have been found sooner if they had considered that the gift may have been bugged? yeah, probably, but the device was also pretty genius by the looks of things

It would be interesting to know what operations are still classified and what the KGB "got away with ". For every "Cambridge Five" type success, how many were unknown to Western Intelligence?

Simon’s channels are perfect for someone hungry for knowledge and facts as me 😂 love what’s he’s doing, very interesting to watch it all

LOVE a good ol fashioned KGB video! They're too neglected these days when, with that being where Putin was bred from, it seems so pertinent and topical. Great job!

The listening device buried inside the seal can still be seen today in the CIAs museum, not so affectionately known forever as "The thing".

the Richard Sorge story is very interesting. There have been a couple of movies made. Imagine a Russian spy working in the German Embassy in Tokyo in WW2.

Anyone interested in such things should read Ernest Volkman’s book on the subject. There are plenty of fascinating stories - all basically true - from the NKVD’s _’Operation Trust’,_ right up to the close of the Cold War. Also worth reading is _’Spies Beneath Berlin’._ I think the highlight of Volkman’s book is the story about the Chinese woman running a newspaper kiosk in West Berlin while married to an East German agent. There are so many twists to that story it becomes laugh out loud funny, remembering, of course, that they were at risk of their lives.

Very interesting, thanks!

Certainly interesting. If you have ever seen the presentations by Yuri Bezmenov (KGB defector), he said about 85% of the KGB operations were subversion, and the other 15% the typical "spy" stuff. All KGB trainees were thoroughly versed in Sun Tzu's 'The Art of War'. And they were masters at it.

BTW that umbrella stuff inspired the 1980s French comedy Le coup du parapluie - IMO still works even after 40+ years :)

Awesome! More KGB stuff please!

Given how some of these agents look, id sell out king and country knowingly 😂😂

Great video, ...but you need to start your own Biography type channel, miss you on Biographics since your departure, one of my favorite channels......

I remember when I was young and watching "Quincy M.E." with my parents when one of the episodes had a murder that happened similarly to the Georgi Markov one. I hadn't known it was an actual murder they based it on, but young me was paranoid about umbrellas for a number of months following seeing that.

This was an interesting peek behind the Iron Curtain!

Pretty good. Some of this sounds familiar, but still intriguing regardless. As usual, our host maintains a fast pace, and it's all to easy to miss key comments.

The woman in the thumbnail looks like a stereotypical KGB agent😂. I think I’d know I was being “honey trapped”

The seal bug was probably checked for active bugs many times but passive bugs were very new at the time and can still be hard to find today sometimes.

I have the two books based on that defector mentioned at the end and they make for very interesting and chilling reading.

“… bringing Operation Pandora to an end.” *looks at current events* Or did it..?

We have a phenomenon called Default To Truth. It's important to remember when looking at history that we only recently became aware of this phenomenon and developed ways to train around it.

Swallows? Maiden name Spitz.

7:14 I mean, it wasn’t an active bug - other reports say the housekeeping staff(?) noticed radio interference. I’m sure the Americans assumed it was bugged, but let it go when there were no batteries or active microphones detected.

Gee, I think they've got Operation Pandora part two working on us right now...

I do love this channel for its interesting and wacky knowledge. I do find it hilarious this video was in my recommendations section said In Deep Geek watchers watch this channel. In Deep Geek channel covers fantasy in books, TV and movies.

Regarding the Great Seal Bug, I can actually state that options #1 & #2 you offered are not exactly correct either. It's actually a mix of both. They realized they were bugged for years and knew that some other leak was happening. In my research a few years back studying the technology and the events behind this, the US looked all over. The embassy was emptied out repeatedly by staff and specialists sent in to find the bug. They did this repeatedly from room to room and even tore out walls. Then just couldn't find anything they expected and would implement themselves. So why did this evade them? Well one thing is, device didn't activate with any equipment. Second thing is that they did inspect it but they didn't realize it had a cavity and didn't want to tear apart someones personal political gift. Though in hindsight it should be the first thing you tear open after repeated Intel breeches. If it wasn't for an outside British source discovering the frequency and giving it to the Americans, they would not have tracked down the source. Only by emitting the exact specific frequency of what the device was tuned to activate did it finally activate and get picked up by a final bug search. It was pretty ingenious since the receiver was literally across the street from that officials office. The success led to an amazing assortment of Soviet bugging technologies that we still don't know the full extent of proliferation.

How do you research this stuff?

I don't know how much inspiration you and your team take from the comments on your various channels, but I suggested you look into the KGB "Swallows" in another comments section roughly a week ago. I suspect this was recorded long before then so it's a h**l of a coincidence. Thanks either way, Daisy.

Seems like operation pandora is working quite well, if you look at what going on now in the U.S. It looks like they missed all of those in academia..( teachers union, college professors, .etc)

Very nice but can you a video on operation foot I won't say anything more.

lmao.."swallows" huh? Fitting.🐦

Project pandora is still going on to this day, you just have to open your eyes and look around

I remember cartoons Rocky and Bullwinkle, and KGB Natasha and Boris

The BEST Double Agents don't know they are........

Its been said: "Keep your friends close, and your enemys closer..."

"Operation Pandora" is still ongoing and has been immensely successful.

that is NOT the "British" pronunciation of ALUMNI , Simon is just a silky-smothbrain

1:57 Alumini? Think Simon’s on auto again.

Operation Pandora has all the hallmarks of the sudden rise ofBLM operations. Makes one wonder.

I was told to say thank you, and that was very enjoyable. Any chance of extra copies, one of myself and one of my boss? so we can update her file. Or let them think they got you and ASAP report to Boss, and then a great game is played. PS you can also ask for her phone number just piss them off.

Sukarno, LOL. You should tell that story. His response is priceless.

Damn that thumbnail. ❤❤❤❤❤

I'd love to see the result of taking scripts like this one and making Brain Blaze videos with them.

And all of these operations are still ongoing to this day.

We sure Operation Pandora actually ended?

one has to wonder what they are up to now...

Some of these sound concerningly familiar to modern day events.

@01:46 - In my eastern german home region it's still not uncommon to see streets named in honour of Richard Sorge.

Operation Pandora ain't over

“ Operation Pandora was a failure … “ Have you ever been to the United States , or even seen it on TV ???

Clayton Lonetree had fellow Marines volunteer by the dozens at least for his firing squad.

3:32 Have to admit I’m curious to know if the officials they turned were blackmailed or willing participants.

Not sure that honey traps count as weird. That trick is as old as espionage. The video didn’t mention one odd footnote to the story of the bug in the Great Seal: the device was invented by Leon Theremin, who is better remembered for inventing the musical instrument that makes the electronic wailing noises in the soundtracks of SF movies from*Forbidden Planet* to *Loki*.

russian intelligence (the FSB) is still trying to carry out Operation pandora

oh god umbrella one again

At 9:34 did you channel your inner Monty Python or did a parrot chime in?

Judging from the current state of the US, Pandora at least was an unqualified success.

Went far right into our houses of government today.

Of course 'Yakoff' would've manifested a top secret spynet harem.

6:50 there is a possibility that they found it quickly but decided to leave it there to feed misinformation to the KGB

The radio bug was designed by Theremin, who invented the musical instrument that carries his name. Theremin is worth his own podcast. e.g. he was Russian living in New York then was kidnapped by the KGB to do military electronics in Russia. The Theremin is played in the song "Good Vibrations".

The Soviets invented the pickup artist for spying purposes. Didn't see that coming.

IIRC, “the thing” was designed by Leon Theremin (who invented the Theremin obv)

Sometimes it's really hard to follow everything this guy says.

The Embassy bug was not a passive bug, it was genius art. It wad acoustic wood mechanism. Which would turn voice in to low frequency waves which the second device could pick up, the distance was line 100m only. US checked that thing in and out no metal or electronic devices were found because there were none.

Did you say Buggering the Embassy?

I am sure many countries are using these methods in the UK as we speak. The UK probably is as well in other countries. You would be amazed how gullible business leaders, senior public officials, and politicians are. I work with them.

how the mighty have fallen, nowadays any window will do.

Ah.. the Whistler knows..

How many channels does he have He pops up everywhere

They will do anything 😂

Are we sure it failed ?? I mean former KGB agent sitting on the top of current Russia . Buddy to a certian former leader . Even openly admitted to being a huge fan of said KGB agent. Was in New York area in late 60s and 70s . Was accused several times of inciting racial tensions . Just asking ??

And you still see it happening. I wonder who Putin has under his control with these methods.

9:34 😦

The Great Seal did not have a recording device in it.

Swallows...giggity.

Swallows? A bit unfortunate really.

I love that the women were named swallow

What’s Eric Swalwell been up to lately? 🤔

During the 1970s and 80s the Cold War was raging. During a certain period, we allowed the local girls to come in unescorted to fill the clubs. This was especially true in the UK. Many reports were made of girls asking strange questions, and often times the Intel folks would tell you to keep the relationship going if able. Probably as many times as it was a Russian Agent, it was a local girl with an inquiring mind…usually with a future in the US. One girl actually told my wife, “A girl gotta know what she is getting into mate”…. Lakenheath, Alconbury, Upper Heyford, Bentwaters, WoodBridge, all had clubs and also aircraft. If the Soviets ignored this potential intelligence coup they were not smart.

US & UK Top Gun & 007 are only in movies ~~ It was not KGB but infact it was JDL

2:15 It’s a little unfortunate they named the sex agents “swallows”. Is a double agent called a “spit”?

I would be interesting to know what the CIA did in the mean time. Perhaps charity work?

Be VERY skeptical of any Indian news agency

Not spying. It was a "special undercover operation."

Didn't the Indonesian guy ask for.the tapes so he could show them off to his friend?

So I guess James Bond films were not totally off the rails in how they portrayed the KGB.

Operation Pandora = Helter Skelter?