3According to The Wall Street Journal, during the 2022 mobilization, Putin exploited the open Russian borders to allow hundreds of thousands of Russians to flee to Europe, Central Asia, and the Caucasus, while simultaneously dispatching intelligence agents among them.

The decision came after many Russian diplomats were recalled to Russia, prompting Putin to augment the ranks of spies.

Currently, Russian agents are displaying increasing audacity and ingenuity in suppressing dissent abroad. They may be implicated in the high-profile assassinations of Russian defectors, with particular focus given to the death of Russian pilot Maxim Kuzminov.