Inside Russia’s New Reign of Repression—And the Spy War You’ve Never Heard About

 

Russia's elite spy hunters—the DKRO—are back in the shadows, targeting Americans and silencing dissent. Modern-day Smersh tactics, global reach, zero accountability.

     Imagine being an American in Russia—maybe a journalist, a tourist, or just a curious traveler—and one day you just vanish. No charges. No trial. Just gone. That’s the kind of fear that’s creeping back into global headlines, and it's not Cold War nostalgia. It's real, it's now, and it’s being run by Russia’s most elite and secretive force: the DKRO.

     Short for the Counter-Espionage Operations Department, the DKRO is Russia’s modern-day Smersh—the notorious WWII-era spy-hunting unit that answered directly to Stalin. These guys don’t just follow people around in trench coats. They run psychological warfare campaigns, fabricate espionage cases, and are responsible for what’s been called the largest wave of repression since Stalin’s death.

     Evan Gershkovich, an American journalist with The Wall Street Journal, knows this firsthand. In 2024, after 16 months behind bars, he was sentenced to 16 years for “espionage.” The charge? Pure fiction, according to Western officials. His real crime? Doing journalism. Thankfully, he was eventually freed in a prisoner swap, but the message was loud and clear: no one is safe.

     What makes the DKRO so dangerous isn't just its tactics—it's the scale. With only about 2,000 agents, they somehow manage to cast a net wide enough to intimidate, arrest, or pressure hundreds of thousands of Russians and foreigners. These agents are well-paid, deeply loyal, and unlike most in the global spy world—not a single one has ever defected to the West. That tells you how tight and ruthless their grip is.

     Now, if this all sounds like something out of a spy thriller—good. Because that’s exactly what the Corey Pearson – CIA Spymaster Short Story series is tackling head-on. In the series, Corey and his elite CIA team don’t just play by the rules—they go OT, or “Obscure Transgression” level. That’s spy-speak for doing what needs to be done, above the law and below the radar of Congress, to stop this wave of repression from spreading across the globe.

     And that’s not fiction. It reflects real concerns within U.S. intelligence about how far Russia’s tentacles are reaching—from fake espionage charges to using their elite units to sabotage American efforts worldwide. The Corey Pearson stories might be fiction, but they’re ripped from the headlines in a way that hits home.

     Because this isn’t just about journalists. It’s about a system of fear that targets anyone who dares to step out of line. It’s about a shadow war between agencies you’ve never heard of. And it’s about the very real possibility that someone you know—a student, a traveler, a businessperson—could get caught in the middle.

     So, if you think the Cold War is ancient history, think again. It just got a new name: DKRO. And it's being fought in secret, every day. The only question is: who’s watching the watchers?

     And in Corey Pearson’s world, the answer is always—someone is. 

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 series, 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.