Military intelligence is determined by prospects
What tasks have to be solved to the new head of the Department.
Upstairs
GRU new boss. And now the question arises — what is waiting for military intelligence, survived the series of scandals? Vice-Admiral Igor Kostyukov while appointed temporarily fulfilling duties of the head of the Main Directorate of the General staff. But, according to the newspaper “Kommersant”, it is likely that he will remain head of the intelligence service. Thus, Kostyukov will take the place of former head Igor Korobov, who passed away. About what happens in military intelligence, and will it work with the arrival of a new leader at Aleksandra Rassokhina.
The head of the Main Directorate of the General staff Igor Korobov died Wednesday at 62 years old.
This is the second death of the current head of military intelligence for the last three years. But the defense Ministry says — nothing mysterious in this, Igor Korobov was seriously ill.
During his work he managed to participate in the military campaign in Syria, but the peak of my career was the special operation to return the Crimea to Russia, told “Kommersant FM” military commentator of “Komsomolskaya Pravda” Victor Baranets.
GRU had two Central objectives — to prevent a bloody independence and civil war. For this it was necessary to block the military units of Ukraine. I believe that the plan, which was developed Boxes, saved dozens, maybe hundreds of thousands of people from death. So it is only natural that that is what the General Boxes and received the title of Hero of Russia.24фотографии24фотографии24фотографии
But the last year of life and work of Hero of Russia, Korobov has become perhaps the most controversial in the recent history of military intelligence. First, “business Skrypalia”, then exposing the alleged Russian agents in the Hague. And every time the reputation of the Main control suffered not so much from-for charges in espionage on foreign soil, but because of that personality, it would seem that secret agents have been disclosed with amazing speed and ease.
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Although Russia officially none of this is recognized even by the former Soviet spy Mikhail Lyubimov believes that these stories dealt a severe blow to the Russian intelligence services: “they formed a very strange experience. I, frankly, insulting the whole story of the adventures of the Salisbury boys allegedly anecdotal cover, which knows at all all the press. All this causes bewilderment”.
After the scandals in Salisbury and the Hague, as claimed by the journalist Sergey Kanev, in the Ministry of defence was held a hard debriefing. It was said that the agents did not comply with the basic rules of working abroad, and the most memorable phrase was: “Still wearing budenovka”.
Who have to rectify the situation? On 2 November, the Department celebrated the centenary. On the front row of the Theatre of the Russian army were President Vladimir Putin, but on the right hand — the first Deputy Korobov, Vice-Admiral Igor Kostyukov. It eventually was appointed acting head of the Department, and it is expected to become a full leader, told the special correspondent of the newspaper “Kommersant FM” Ivan Safronov. According to him, Kostukova little is known. He was born in the Amur region, he is 57 years old: “it was he who acted as the Rapporteur on the balance of power in the Asia-Pacific region, reported on the problem of North Korea, but at the same time, a few times gave very relevant information about the status of forces and the situation in the middle East, particularly the situation in Syria and Iraq. Apparently, his horizons wide enough”.
Despite the revelations of recent months, the Main control still remains one of the most secret and private agencies of Russia, and therefore on what reforms are coming, we can only guess. According to the intelligence historian Alexander Kolpakidi, in the end, military intelligence may lose part of its current functions are: “Changes, changes, some reforms have probably already started. I’m sure they’ll try to eliminate punctures and to do so in the future they were not. The fact that the GRU was involved in scandals, it is surprising, as in Soviet times was engaged in a competing firm, which is now called the SVR, and was then called PSU. I think, most likely, GRU will stop doing these things.”
One reform on the anniversary of the intelligence service personally offered by Vladimir Putin — to return to the Main Directorate of the General staff historical name of the GRU. However, it is unlikely one name change is enough to bring back military intelligence to its former glory one of the most respected intelligence agencies in the world.