Exposed: Alleged journalist unmasked as Russian spy in Spain
4:19 PM EDT, October 8, 2024
The task of Russian spy Pavlo Rubtsov, operating under the Spanish pseudonym Pablo Gonzalez, included, among other things, the surveillance of collaborators with American intelligence in Eastern Europe.
His duties also involved tracking potential candidates who might be interested in working for U.S. services, the Madrid daily "El Mundo" reported on Tuesday, citing data obtained by Polish services.
The Spanish newspaper emphasizes that Rubtsov, previously defended by the media as a so-called journalist, is now clearly marked as a "spy." "This changes the previous rhetoric of the Spanish media, which had repeatedly defended the alleged freelance journalist," notes "El Mundo."
The newspaper also reveals materials gathered by Polish services on Rubtsov, including a document from 2019 used during the investigation against him. The daily reports: "He reported to the GRU (Russian military intelligence - PAP) about Americans and prepared informational materials about them."
Rubtsov monitored and collected data
According to "El Mundo," Rubtsov also prepared profiles of individuals associated with American intelligence services. As part of these activities, he was involved in a summer journalism school in Prague organized by the Boris Nemtsov Foundation, where he became associated with people from the organization's leadership. Moreover, according to investigation files, Rubtsov established a "sentimental relationship" with Zhanna Nemtsova, the daughter of the murdered Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov.
One of those surveilled by Rubtsov was Justin Tomczyk, a participant in the aforementioned summer school. "El Mundo" states that Rubtsov considered him a "good candidate for American intelligence services."
Rubtsov also gathered information about key infrastructure in Poland. He passed on data to Russia, including details about military exercises in the Lviv area during at least three editions, "El Mundo" reports.
In August of this year, Rubtsov was handed over to Russia as part of a prisoner exchange conducted between Western countries and Russia in Ankara. A day after this operation, articles appeared in the Spanish media in which Rubtsov's lawyers suggested that he was innocent. However, Spanish media rarely addressed his cooperation with the GRU, which is now beginning to change.
