Russia resurrects Smersh – Stalin's spy-catching unit featured in James Bond books
Russia is suspected to have re-established a secret Stalin-era counter-intelligence organisation, according to the Ministry Of Defence.
Smersh, known for its inclusion in Ian Fleming's James Bond novels, was formed in 1941 as a spy-catching organisation which also worked to counter anti-Stalin elements inside the Soviet Union.
"An abbreviation of the Russian phrase for 'death to spies', Joseph Stalin established the original organisation which existed from 1941-1946," the MOD wrote in its latest intelligence update.
"In late 2023, Russian politicians claimed that the Soviet counter-intelligence (CI) organisation 'Smersh' was being re-established," the MOD said.
"In early January 2024, an open-source image showed operatives apparently wearing Smersh uniform patches.
"In the West [Smersh] became known via its fictionalised portrayal in lan Fleming's James Bond books."
It is unclear if the organisation has officially been revived or is merely a rebadging of an existing unit.
The MOD also commented that the presence of Smersh was another example of how Russian officials "'consciously couch the Russia-Ukraine conflict in the spirit of the Second World War".
Smersh is perhaps best remembered among Bond aficionados for its inclusion as one of the main antagonists in the 1963 Sean Connery film From Russia With Love.
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