American Spy Worked in the Kremlin for Nearly Five Years

Oleg Smolenkov, referred to by media as a CIA informant, has worked for the last five years as a chief advisor in the office of Yuri Ushakov, the assistant to the President of Russia on foreign policy issues. According to Vedomosti, in this position he had access to "top secret information," including details regarding intelligence services.

The article further notes that during his diplomatic career, Smolenkov held positions classified as "assistant advisors." A source for Vedomosti stated that Smolenkov was not granted access to classified information but could glean information of interest to U.S. intelligence from discussions with colleagues due to his official position.

The source reiterated that while Smolenkov did not have direct access to secret information, he was able to discover the information that U.S. intelligence showed interest in through conversations with colleagues.