GRU

Soviet and Russian military intelligence, operating continuously since 1918

Overview

The GRU, the main intelligence directorate of the general staff, has gathered military intelligence since the Russian civil war. It ran some of the most celebrated agents in espionage history, including Richard Sorge in Tokyo and Rudolf Abel in New York, and specialized in technical and military collection throughout the Cold War. Unlike the repeatedly reorganized civilian services, it kept its identity across the Soviet collapse. Western governments have publicly attributed a range of modern operations to it, from battlefield reconnaissance to cyber operations.