General Gurulev confirms. Russians have revived Smersh

General Andrey Gurulev, a member of the State Duma Defense Committee, indicated that Russia has established a department in the occupied territories operating similarly to Smersh in the USSR. Smersh is an abbreviation for "special methods for detecting spies."

As stated by General Andrei Gurulev, a member of the State Duma Defense Committee, Russia has revived its counterintelligence in the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republic, as well as in the Zaporizhia and Kherson districts. He believes that similar structures should be operational in other areas of the Russian Federation.

Gurulev pointed out that the aforementioned department functions on the foundation of Soviet military counterintelligence. "'We have formed a department that operates rather similarly to Smersh. Although it is new to these territories, there are attempts to interfere with us from within. I've had conversations with the Far East, where our nuclear submarines and ships are located. They might also be at risk, so a different approach to protection is necessary," Gurulev added.

The moniker 'Smersh,' denoting Special Methods for Detecting Spies or 'death to spies,' was affiliated with the structures of Soviet counterintelligence during World War II. According to Russian sources, its origin can be traced back to either Stalin or high-ranking state security officers who recall the revolutionary times and the creation of similarly named structures.

Smersh existed from 1943 to 1946. "Witnesses recounted instances of extrajudicial executions of individuals detained by Smersh members," remembers Kommersant.