What makes a spy betray the very system that raised him? How does a loyal KGB officer, born into the service, become Britain’s most valuable Cold War agent? And how did one man’s intelligence reports help stop the world from sliding into nuclear confrontation?
This is the story of Oleg Gordievsky — a man shaped by the terror of Stalin’s purges, the shadow ... Show More
Oct 29
Intelligence Scoop: Why Governments Want Us To Stockpile
In the last weeks, we’ve had dire warnings from governments and intelligence agencies across the world, warning of a cyber apocalypse and a global internet meltdown. At the same time, the British government has told people to start storing 72 hours of supplies and the Pentagon in ... Show More
34m 54s
Aug 2024
The Spy Who Defused the Missile Crisis | Unpacking the mind of a spy legend | 5
Few spies have motives as hard to decipher as those of Oleg Penkovsky. Was he a hero, an egotist or a madman? The Spy Who's Tristan Donovan sits down with Jack Basu-Mellish, host of the LSE Cold War Podcast, to discuss Penkovsky’s actions, plus the lessons to learn from the event ... Show More
38m 37s
Jun 2025
The Salisbury Poisonings | Glass Houses | 1
A Russian spy torn between loyalty and freedom. A secret deal with MI6. And, years later, in Salisbury, England, a deadly Soviet-era nerve agent turns a quiet afternoon into an international crisis. This is the story of Sergei Skripal: the double agent who betrayed Russia and liv ... Show More
52m 17s