Crimson Shadows, Kremlin Tactics: How Russian Oligarchs Wage War Without Firing a Shot

 

     There’s a quiet kind of warfare happening around the world today—not fought with tanks or missiles, but with yachts, campaign donations, and offshore bank accounts. And while we’re all watching the loud threats—like troop movements or cyberattacks—Russia has mastered the art of sneaking in through the back door, using its ultra-wealthy oligarchs as political power brokers in countries they want to influence.

     It’s a playbook that doesn’t get enough attention. These oligarchs, many of whom became billionaires by cozying up to Vladimir Putin, aren’t just enjoying their wealth abroad. They’re pushing Russian foreign policy wherever they go, often with the quiet blessing—or direct encouragement—of Moscow’s intelligence services. They funnel money into foreign elections, bankroll “cultural foundations” and think tanks, and buy their way into elite political circles. And if you think that sounds like the stuff of spy novels, you’re right. In fact, it’s exactly the kind of plot I explore in my spy thriller Crimson Shadows.

     In the novel, CIA operative Corey Pearson is thrown into the middle of a full-blown crisis in Panama, where a rogue general named Hector Alvarez is planning a coup. Backed by a Russian oligarch and a powerful cartel, Alvarez is more than a local strongman—he’s a pawn in a larger game. The Kremlin’s not just watching from afar. It’s bankrolling Alvarez’s uprising through Viktor Orlov, one of Putin’s most trusted oligarchs, who’s hiding behind the front of international businesses and luxury investments. Orlov’s role? He’s the puppet master, pulling the strings, providing weapons, logistics, and a direct line to Moscow.

     Sound familiar? That’s because the real world isn’t far off. Look at what’s been happening in the UK for years. Russian money has poured into London—so much so that the city earned the nickname “Londongrad.” Oligarchs bought football clubs, mansions in Kensington, and—most importantly—access to British political elites.

     One of the most controversial examples was Evgeny Lebedev, a media mogul and the son of a former KGB officer, who was granted a seat in the House of Lords despite concerns from British intelligence. Add to that the millions in donations to political parties from individuals with close Kremlin ties, and you start to see the pattern: money buys access, and access buys influence.

     Now take a place like Panama. It doesn’t have the global influence of the UK, but it has something just as valuable—financial secrecy. Panama’s offshore firms and shell companies have been a magnet for Russian money looking to stay hidden from sanctions and scrutiny. The Panama Papers leak made it crystal clear: oligarchs were stashing their fortunes there, moving millions through fake companies and shadow networks. What they haven’t done—at least not publicly—is use that financial influence to meddle in Panama’s politics. Yet.

     That’s the scenario Crimson Shadows plays out. It asks: what happens if Panama stops being just a money vault and becomes a political target? In the book, Alvarez’s coup isn’t just a grab for power—it’s a Kremlin-backed operation designed to put a Russian-friendly regime in control of a country at the heart of global commerce. And if Corey Pearson and his CIA team don’t stop it, the fallout could spread across the Western Hemisphere.

     In reality, Latin America has long been a strategic interest for Russia. With the U.S. focused elsewhere, Moscow has made quiet inroads—funding political movements, forming military ties, and trying to undercut American influence. Oligarchs play a key role in this. They’re the financiers, the enablers. They don’t wear uniforms, but make no mistake—they’re on the front lines of a different kind of war.

     The strength of Russia’s strategy is its subtlety. By the time a country realizes it’s been compromised, it’s often too late. That’s why stories like Crimson Shadows—though fictional—offer more than entertainment. They’re a warning.

     If Western democracies want to push back against this kind of influence, we need to follow the money. That means closing financial loopholes, demanding transparency in political donations, and asking hard questions about where foreign wealth is coming from and what strings are attached. It also means understanding that today’s geopolitics isn’t just about soldiers and sanctions—it’s about billionaires with private jets and Kremlin phone numbers.

     In Crimson Shadows, the solution isn’t a full-scale military invasion. It’s a covert operation, precision work by CIA operatives who understand that you can’t fight shadow wars with brute force. You need people who know how to navigate the gray zones. In real life, we need the same thing—smart policies, vigilant oversight, and the political will to confront uncomfortable truths about who’s trying to buy influence in our backyard.

     Because if we don’t, the shadows will keep spreading.

 

Robert Morton is a member of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO) and an accomplished author. He writes the Corey Pearson- CIA Spymaster Short Story, blending his knowledge of real-life intelligence operations with gripping fictional storytelling. His work offers readers an insider’s glimpse into the world of espionage, inspired by the complexities and high-stakes realities of the intelligence community.