Secrets and Spies Podcast: Current Affairs | Geopolitics | Intelligence S9 Ep46: Surviving Corruption, Surveillance, and Cybercrime in Putin’s Russia with Bruce Talley
May 7, 2025
01:48:06
Chris chats with Bruce Talley, a former Russia-based businessman who now helps foreign companies set up operations in Ukraine and matches investors with projects
They explore the complex nature of doing business in Russia, including how it’s changed since the 1990s, the red flags Talley missed, and the moment he realized the system was irredeemably corrupt. He shares what it’s like to be surveilled by the FSB, the limits of Western legal remedies, and how Russia’s criminal networks evolved into tools of statecraft. They also discuss the risks facing Western investors, the Kremlin’s strategy of normalized theft, and what Bruce’s work today reveals about the intersection of cybercrime and geopolitical power.
Subscribe and share to stay ahead in the world of intelligence, geopolitics, and current affairs.
Bruce’s blog: http://brucetalley.com
Bruce’s company, Destination Ukraine: https://destination-ukraine.com
They explore the complex nature of doing business in Russia, including how it’s changed since the 1990s, the red flags Talley missed, and the moment he realized the system was irredeemably corrupt. He shares what it’s like to be surveilled by the FSB, the limits of Western legal remedies, and how Russia’s criminal networks evolved into tools of statecraft. They also discuss the risks facing Western investors, the Kremlin’s strategy of normalized theft, and what Bruce’s work today reveals about the intersection of cybercrime and geopolitical power.
Subscribe and share to stay ahead in the world of intelligence, geopolitics, and current affairs.
Bruce’s blog: http://brucetalley.com
Bruce’s company, Destination Ukraine: https://destination-ukraine.com
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Music by Andrew R. Bird
Photo by Shamil Zhumatov/Reuters & Sergei Guneyev/AP
Secrets and Spies sits at the intersection of intelligence, covert action, real-world espionage, and broader geopolitics in a way that is digestible but serious. Hosted by filmmaker Chris Carr and writer Matt Fulton, each episode unpacks global events through the lens of intelligence and geopolitics, featuring expert insights from former spies, authors, and analysts.
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Follow Chris and Matt on Bluesky:
https://bsky.app/profile/fultonmatt.bsky.social
https://bsky.app/profile/chriscarrfilm.bsky.social
Secrets and Spies is produced by F & P LTD.
Music by Andrew R. Bird
Photo by Shamil Zhumatov/Reuters & Sergei Guneyev/AP
Secrets and Spies sits at the intersection of intelligence, covert action, real-world espionage, and broader geopolitics in a way that is digestible but serious. Hosted by filmmaker Chris Carr and writer Matt Fulton, each episode unpacks global events through the lens of intelligence and geopolitics, featuring expert insights from former spies, authors, and analysts.