In 1985, Soviet defector Vitaly Yurchenko revealed a chilling secret to the CIA: a high-ranking mole was leaking American intelligence to the KGB. As it turned out, the mole was Aldrich Ames, the CIA’s own Chief of Soviet Counterintelligence. The disgruntled agent turned traitor operated undetected for nearly a decade, exposing the CIA’s missteps and blind spots along the way. Be the first to know about Wondery’s newest podcasts, curated recommendations, and more! Sign up now at https://wondery.fm/wonderynewsletterFollow Redacted: Declassified Mysteries with Luke Lamana on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to new episodes early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting https://wondery.com/links/redacted/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Full Episode
Wondery Plus subscribers can listen to redacted, declassified mysteries early and ad-free right now. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts. On the morning of August 1, 1985, Vitaly Yurchenko walked out of the Soviet embassy and into the bustling streets of Rome. The blond-haired Russian told his embassy co-workers that he wanted to visit the Vatican Museum. But that was a lie.
Instead, he walked in the direction of the American embassy in the Palazzo Margherita. When he reached the ornate three-story building, Yurchenko looked around, wondering if he was being watched. Then he took a deep breath, walked over to a payphone just outside the embassy, and dialed the CIA. An officer picked up. Yurchenko told him two things. First, he said he was a senior officer in the KGB.
And second, he wanted to defect to America. If the CIA could help him get there, he was willing to spill Soviet secrets. The officer's breath caught in his throat, and Yurchenko smiled. He'd put himself in danger, but he was pretty sure he'd made this agent's day. In the waning years of the Cold War, Yurchenko knew he'd be a hot commodity. The officer told Yurchenko to head into the embassy.
Once he got there, everything happened fast. He was questioned by CIA officers, who immediately wanted to know why he was defecting. Some Soviets switched sides for political reasons. Others were sick of life in Russia and wanted to start over again in America. Most did it for money, since the CIA paid well for KGB intel. Yurchenko didn't fall into any of those categories.
He was defecting for love. He was on the outs with his wife and son and desperate to rekindle a flame with an old mistress who lived in Canada. Moving to America would let him break from his family and start a new chapter with his old girlfriend. Yurchenko was pretty sure the CIA would help him. After all, he was the highest-ranking KGB agent to ever defect.
Once Yurchenko got comfortable, the officers asked what they always ask defectors. Did he know any of the Americans leaking secrets to the KGB? Yurchenko said he did. There were two of them. One worked at the National Security Agency, and the other was a CIA agent and a mole. The officers were well-trained to betray no emotion, but Yurchenko couldn't help but see the impact of his words.
One officer blinked several times in a row. The other agent's mouth twitched. The two men thanked Yurchenko and calmly walked out of the room. But Yurchenko imagined that the minute they were out of hearing range, they would start racing down the halls to put in an urgent call to Washington. Because they had just unearthed a terrifying secret. That a KGB mole was operating right under their noses.
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