Alleged Russian Spies in USA

The collapse of the Soviet Union nearly 15 years ago did nothing to curb the Russian appetite for espionage.
There is still a significant Russian spy presence in Britain, mainly represented by the GRU military intelligence and the SVR, the new name for the overseas operations of the old KGB.

The FSB, which some claim was behind the alleged assassination plot, is Russia's internal security apparatus - the equivalent of MI5 in Britain.
It is MI5's job through its counter-espionage branch to keep tabs on spies in Britain but it has to do less than formerly because of the current preoccupation with terrorism.
One estimate yesterday suggested that there were 30 or more spies based at the Russian embassy. Partly, they carry out ''old-fashioned" spying, finding out what the host government and its agencies are up to. But they are also monitoring the Russian dissident population here.

An SVR unit called Line X is involved in technological espionage - trying to acquire scientific secrets. Despite this continuing activity, there is concern that MI5 is not able to devote enough resources to the threat.

During the Cold War, counter-espionage was the main focus of the service's work. Even in 1999, it devoted a quarter of its resources to combating the spies. Now it accounts for around six per cent of the budget.
Dame Eliza-Manningham-Buller, the head of MI5, told a Commons intelligence committee a few years ago: ''There's not less of it [espionage] about, we are doing less work on it, we are being more selective about the priority cases."

Russian agents are as active in Britain now as at the height of the Cold War, senior Whitehall officials have said.
The sources told the BBC's Frank Gardner there were more than 30 identified intelligence officers trying to get secrets by covert means.
Targets include military hardware, scientific know-how and technology, and inside tips on Westminster politics.
Businessmen who may have access to sensitive information are also of interest, as are Russian dissidents.