Is Russia Paying the Costs of Russian Intelligence Failures?

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The West responded to the invasion of Ukraine by expelling huge numbers of Russian intelligence officers from European embassies. That put pressure on a type of Russian officer that we call an illegal. These are people who are sent into another country to live potentially for their whole lives under a false identity. The loss of all these regular officers in embassies is putting pressure on illegals, says Alexander Nekrassov.

The former president may well ignore the January 6th committee’s summons; the whole affair may be unceremoniously shut down next year. But that is not to say the process has been in vain. Russia’s intelligence failures during the war in Ukraine have taken the shine off the security services’ fearsome reputations. And remembering Loretta Lynn, country music’s most-successful-ever female star. Additional audio courtesy of Honor Your Hometown. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer