Russian spy posed as journalist, unmasked in espionage
6:24 PM EDT, October 15, 2024
Russian spy Paweł Rubcow, using the fake Spanish surname Pablo Gonzalez, has been working for the Russian military intelligence agency GRU for at least 15 years. New documents accessed by the Spanish television station Antena 3 reveal his activities.
Rubcow, also known as Gonzalez, operated under deep cover for an extended period, reporting to the GRU department responsible for so-called "illegals," which refers to agents operating without support from official structures like embassies.
"Today we know that Pablo Gonzalez is involved in 'targeting,' meaning he identifies and points out individuals and places of interest that may later become targets for the Kremlin," reported the Spanish television network.
Rubcow's activities in Europe: In Poland, he pretended to be a journalist
As reported by Antena 3, Rubcow focused his espionage activities on Eastern Europe. Spanish media recall that he operated in Poland, among other places, where he used his journalist status to gather information related to the conflict in Ukraine. He maintained contacts with circles of collaborators with American intelligence in Eastern Europe and examined potential candidates for collaboration with these services.
In early October, the Spanish newspaper "El Mundo" reported that Rubcow was monitoring the Russian and Belarusian opposition in European countries. According to the newspaper, one of his targets was Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Rubcow was said to be collecting data on European clinics where Navalny was treated after being poisoned with novichok and passing that information to Moscow.
Arrest and exchange
In February 2022, Pawel Rubcow was detained at the Polish-Ukrainian border. Polish intelligence accused him of espionage for the Russian special services, and the arrest took place while he was conducting an operation in Poland. Spanish media emphasize that Rubcow used his journalism cover to funnel information useful to the GRU to Ukraine.
Rubcow, also known as Gonzalez, spent several months in Polish custody before being released as part of a prisoner exchange between Russia and Western countries, which took place on August 1 in Ankara.
