Russian intelligence document calls China ‘the enemy', leak exposes Moscow's deep fear
A leaked internal document from Russia's powerful Federal Security Service (FSB) reveals growing distrust toward China, with the agency branding Beijing as 'the enemy' in an eight-page planning document obtained by The New York Times.
The document, reportedly authored by a previously undisclosed FSB unit, warns that China poses a serious and expanding threat to Russian national security.
China is increasingly trying to recruit Russian scientists and intelligence officers, the document states, adding that Beijing is aggressively targeting 'dissatisfied individuals" with access to sensitive military and technological information.
FSB officers claim that Chinese agents are actively monitoring Russian military operations in Ukraine. Their aim, according to the document, is to analyse Western-supplied weapons and learn modern warfare techniques.
'Chinese intelligence conducts espionage in the Arctic using mining companies and university research centers as cover,' the report alleges, raising alarms over Beijing's dual-use civilian infrastructure and scientific engagement.
The document also expresses concern that China could be laying groundwork to eventually challenge Russian territorial claims, particularly in sparsely populated and strategically significant regions near their shared border.
Strikingly, just three days before Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the FSB launched a new counterintelligence program titled Entente-4—a name seen as a pointed irony, given Moscow's public embrace of Beijing.
The report notes that with most of Russia's espionage resources focused on Ukraine, the FSB feared China might take advantage of the shift. The timing was likely not accidental.
Since 2022, the FSB says it has documented a sharp increase in Chinese efforts to infiltrate Russian institutions. In response, Russian officers were directed to hold face-to-face meetings with Russian citizens cooperating closely with China.
They were instructed to eliminate the threat and prevent the transfer of critical information, the document states, adding, Beijing seeks to exploit Russia and gain access to advanced scientific research.
The report further reveals a climate of deep mutual suspicion between the two powers. Chinese intelligence reportedly monitors returning operatives using polygraph tests and controls over 20,000 Russian students currently in China.
The FSB warns that Chinese agents often seek out Russians married to Chinese citizens for potential recruitment. The goal: to penetrate Russia's state institutions through trusted, vulnerable personal connections.
Though Russia and China have publicly declared a 'no limits' partnership, the FSB document reveals a behind-the-scenes intelligence struggle. It describes a 'tense and dynamically developing intelligence battle in the shadows between the two outwardly friendly nations.'
While the document is undated, clues suggest, as per the news report, it was likely drafted in late 2023 or early 2024, underscoring the ongoing strain in bilateral ties despite surface-level cooperation.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
20 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Iraqi citizen staying illegally in India arrested from Raxaul in Bihar
Bettiah: An Iraqi citizen who was staying in the country illegally was arrested late Saturday evening while attempting to cross into Nepal from Raxaul town in Bihar, police said. During police interrogation, the Iraqi national said he is an engineer in Saudi Arabia (HT Photo/ Representative photo) Bara Fauzi Hamid Al Bayati, a resident of Al Dora in Baghdad, had been illegally staying in and around New Delhi since June 16 this year, station house officer (SHO) of Haraiya police station Kisan Kumar Paswan said. 'He was found to have no valid documents and was trying to reach Kathmandu to catch a flight to Saudi Arabia. Further investigation into the matter is underway,' Paswan said. During police interrogation, the Iraqi national said he is an engineer in Saudi Arabia, Paswan added. The East Champaran police have informed central agencies, including Military Intelligence (MI) and the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). Bayati has also been interrogated by Intelligence Bureau (IB) officials. Also read: Afghan national with LOC from Kolkata held at Bhubaneswar airport with fake passport This is the seventh foreign national — including five Chinese and one American — to be arrested in Raxaul town of East Champaran in recent months. On May 7, four Chinese citizens — identified as He Qiangsheng, Huang Limin, Li Yonghai, and Deng Yijum, all residents of Hunan in China — were arrested in Raxaul. Another Chinese citizen, identified as Hi Zeshi, was arrested on June 3 this year. Earlier, an American citizen identified as Eitan Ben Shahar was arrested near the Indian customs office in Raxaul town on April 25.
Mint
21 minutes ago
- Mint
Israel-Iran conflict effect? India ramps up crude oil imports from Russia, US in June 2025
India has increased its crude oil purchases from Russia and the United States in June 2025, as the import volumes from the two nations exceed the combined volumes from Middle Eastern suppliers amid the market volatility due to the Israel-Iran conflict, reported the news agency PTI. India's primary suppliers for crude oil in the Middle East are nations like Saudi Arabia and Iraq. This comes amid US President Donald Trump's announcement that America had carried out coordinated airstrikes targeting three nuclear facilities in Iran. Indian refiners are expected to import 2 million to 2.2 million barrels of crude oil per day in June 2025, marking the highest level of russian oil imports in the last two years, according to the agency report citing Kpler data. The crude oil imports from Russia were at 1.96 million barrels per day in May 2025. This expected hike in volumes is also set to beat the total volumes bought from Gulf nations like Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait, as per the report. On the crude imports on the US front, Indian refiners' crude oil imports from the United States' also jumped to 4,39,000 barrels per day in June 2025, compared to their 2,80,000 barrels per day levels in the previous month. The data report also showed how the full-month projects from crude oil imports from the Middle East into India stood at 2 million barrels per day, lower than the May 2025 levels, according to the agency report. India started importing cheaper oil from Russia soon after the Russia-Ukraine war in February 2022 due to the higher discounted rates post the economic sanctions from the United States. India buys nearly 5.1 million barrels of crude oil, which is then refined to be converted into fossil fuels like petrol and diesel However, so far in the Israel-Iran conflict, there have been no crude oil supply cuts or disruptions in the oil trade, which can potentially drive up oil prices around the world. 'While supplies remain unaffected so far, vessel activity suggests a decline in crude loadings from the Middle East in the coming days,' Sumit Ritolia, Lead Research Analyst, Refining & Modeling at Kpler, told the news agency. 'Shipowners are hesitant to send empty tankers (ballasters) into the Gulf, with the number of such vessels dropping from 69 to just 40, and (Middle East and Gulf) MEG-bound signals from the Gulf of Oman halving,' he said. The global situation of uncertainty caused by the raging Israel-Iran war now risks Tehran retaliating by closing the Strait of Hormuz. The Strait of Hormuz is a strategically important trade passage for global crude oil as the strait links the Gulf of Oman, the Arabian Sea, and the Persian Gulf. According to multiple media reports, the Strait of Hormuz handles nearly a quarter of the world's oil trade. Hence, any potential move to close the passage will result in the escalation of the already raging war. Experts cited in media reports indicate that if there is an oil supply disruption, crude prices can jump to $400 per barrel. 'Yet, Kpler analysis assigns a very low probability to a full blockade, citing strong disincentives for Iran,' Ritolia told the news agency. The route serves as a major route for world oil and LNG export transit, and agency reports show that India imports nearly 40 per cent of all its crude oil and nearly 50 per cent of its gas imports from the Strait of Hormuz, which links to many Gulf nations. The Kpler data cited in the agency report also estimates that in case any disruption happens, it will result in 24 to 48 hours of isolation before major nations like the US step in to counter the retaliation. Meanwhile, the agency also highlighted that Russian oil imports are detached from Hormuz and are imported via the Suez Canal, Cape of Good Hope, or the Pacific Ocean. 'If conflict deepens or there is any short-term disruption in Hormuz, Russian barrels will rise in share, offering both physical availability and pricing relief. India may pivot harder toward the US, Nigeria, Angola, and Brazil, albeit at higher freight costs,' said the expert cited in the agency report. As of 19 June 2025, Russian crude oil accounted for 35 per cent of India's total crude imports. The Indian refiners are watching the geopolitical landscape and are likely to adjust procurement strategies to prioritise energy security, supply stability, and commercial viability if risks in the Middle East escalate, according to the agency report.
Time of India
23 minutes ago
- Time of India
Middle-East conflict: Chinese state media slams US strikes on Iran; says American bombs may not have been enough to destroy Iran's nukes
China's state media has condemned the United States' airstrikes on Iran's nuclear sites, calling them a reckless escalation that pushes the region 'further toward the abyss'. The experts also said that America's bunker-buster bombs used in the strikes may not be sufficient to destroy Iran's deep hidden nuclear secrets. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The US military launched attacks on Iran's Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz nuclear facilities, early Sunday morning. US President Donald Trump said the military had carried out a 'very successful' attack on three nuclear sites. Media reports stated that B-2 stealth bombers were involved in the operation. While Beijing has not officially responded to the airstrikes, a flash editorial published in the state-run China Daily described the US action as a flagrant violation of international law. It warned that such unilateralism undermines the rules-based international order and sets a dangerous 'might-makes-right' precedent, PTI quoted. The editorial added that 'the strikes have only served to push the situation further toward the abyss'. Chinese experts also expressed doubts over the effectiveness of the operation, especially in fully destroying Iran's underground facilities. Fordo's nuclear facility is buried nearly 100 metres underground, making it hard to destroy with just one or two strikes, even with bunker-buster bombs, said Li Zixin, assistant research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies, in an interview with the state-run Global Times. Military affairs expert Zhang Junshe shared a similar opinion. He said the first wave of US strikes may not have been sufficient to destroy Iran's underground nuclear facilities. For instance, the Fordo site sits 90 metres beneath solid rock, making it extremely hard to penetrate. Although Israel views it as a key target, it lacks the capability to carry out an effective strike. Zhang explained that the US uses B-2 bombers armed with 30,000-pound GBU-57 bunker busters, which are believed to be able to penetrate only about 65 metres. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now He said that, in theory, two bombs used one after the other might be required—but this approach has never been publicly tested, so it's unclear how effective the first strike would actually be. Referring to the Iranian official's assertion to the BBC that Iran 'didn't suffer a major blow because the materials had already been taken out,' Zhang said, 'This further demonstrates the difficulty for the US military to completely destroy Iran's nuclear materials.' 'B-2 strategic bombers, armed with bunker-busting weapons, are far more powerful than the bombs and missiles carried by Israel's F-15, F-16, and F-35 fighter jets,' he added. 'Therefore, the damage inflicted by the US is undoubtedly far greater than what Israel could achieve. Against this backdrop, whether Iran's nuclear facilities can be preserved remains uncertain.' Li Zixin noted that this may not be the end of US action. 'In the coming days, the US may further escalate its attacks on key Iranian facilities,' he said. At the same time, he added, neither side wants the situation to spiral out of control. Therefore, US strikes are likely to remain limited in scope, focusing primarily on specific nuclear sites rather than launching large-scale attacks on Iran's other infrastructure.
