On Dec. 5, 2016, two senior Russian Intelligence officers and two civilians were arrested and accused of treason. A few weeks later, when Western journalists were finally able to speak with the men’s lawyers, they learned that the case was based on events that were, oddly enough, already widely known. This made the arrests even more peculiar.

As more details emerged over time, the picture became clearer, offering Westerners a rare glimpse into the typically secretive world of Russian intelligence.