Dave Davies

The program largely fell apart with the collapse of the Soviet Union, but Walker says it's been revived in Russia under Vladimir Putin. Sean Walker is an international correspondent for The Guardian. He reported from Moscow for more than a decade and is the author of The Long Hangover, Putin's New Russia and the Ghosts of the Past. He currently divides his time among Warsaw, Kiev and London.

His new book is The Illegals, Russia's Most Audacious Spies and Their Century-Long Mission to Infiltrate the West. Well, Sean Walker, welcome back to Fresh Air. You know, so many countries spy on each other.

His new book is The Illegals, Russia's Most Audacious Spies and Their Century-Long Mission to Infiltrate the West. Well, Sean Walker, welcome back to Fresh Air. You know, so many countries spy on each other.

His new book is The Illegals, Russia's Most Audacious Spies and Their Century-Long Mission to Infiltrate the West. Well, Sean Walker, welcome back to Fresh Air. You know, so many countries spy on each other.

And one typical technique that is used is to give their agents cover when they go to another country by having them employed as a diplomat at the embassy or as a business person traveling in the host country. This practice you write about is very different. How common is this idea of training agents to impersonate an ordinary citizen and embed in another country?

And one typical technique that is used is to give their agents cover when they go to another country by having them employed as a diplomat at the embassy or as a business person traveling in the host country. This practice you write about is very different. How common is this idea of training agents to impersonate an ordinary citizen and embed in another country?

And one typical technique that is used is to give their agents cover when they go to another country by having them employed as a diplomat at the embassy or as a business person traveling in the host country. This practice you write about is very different. How common is this idea of training agents to impersonate an ordinary citizen and embed in another country?

You know, you're right that the roots of this program date back to the beginnings of the Soviet Union, really before the Russian Revolution. So what were Lenin and his compatriots doing that led to this kind of espionage?

You know, you're right that the roots of this program date back to the beginnings of the Soviet Union, really before the Russian Revolution. So what were Lenin and his compatriots doing that led to this kind of espionage?

You know, you're right that the roots of this program date back to the beginnings of the Soviet Union, really before the Russian Revolution. So what were Lenin and his compatriots doing that led to this kind of espionage?

In the 1920s and 30s when the new Soviet Union had a lot of international enemies, it ended up with a lot of these embedded spies, so-called illegals in the field.

In the 1920s and 30s when the new Soviet Union had a lot of international enemies, it ended up with a lot of these embedded spies, so-called illegals in the field.

In the 1920s and 30s when the new Soviet Union had a lot of international enemies, it ended up with a lot of these embedded spies, so-called illegals in the field.

But things changed when there were these purges instituted by Joseph Stalin, the dictator of the Soviet Union, in which many people in many aspects of Soviet society, particularly government, were accused of disloyalty and tortured and forced to make public confessions. This happened to the illegals too. Why did Stalin target those who presumably were among the most loyal of his followers?

But things changed when there were these purges instituted by Joseph Stalin, the dictator of the Soviet Union, in which many people in many aspects of Soviet society, particularly government, were accused of disloyalty and tortured and forced to make public confessions. This happened to the illegals too. Why did Stalin target those who presumably were among the most loyal of his followers?

But things changed when there were these purges instituted by Joseph Stalin, the dictator of the Soviet Union, in which many people in many aspects of Soviet society, particularly government, were accused of disloyalty and tortured and forced to make public confessions. This happened to the illegals too. Why did Stalin target those who presumably were among the most loyal of his followers?

And ends up with a very long prison term.

And ends up with a very long prison term.

And ends up with a very long prison term.

I think one of the most interesting points of this description is when he is being repeatedly tortured, beaten and tortured by this operative who is trying to get him to sign a statement making this false admission that he had betrayed his country. And at some point he realizes what his interrogator is going through. Tell us about this.