Inside the Kremlin: How a CIA Mole Shook Putin’s Inner Circle

The CIA’s Most Valuable Asset: The Untold Story of Oleg Smolenkov

 

     The Kremlin finally admitted that a former Russian official, who’s been whispered about in the media as a CIA asset, did indeed work in Russia’s presidential administration. But, of course, they were quick to deny that he had any direct access to Putin himself.

     But here’s where it gets interesting—according to U.S. media, back in 2017, American intelligence pulled off a daring operation to extract this high-level Russian official who had been feeding them juicy intel for decades. This wasn’t just any mole; this guy had the goods, snapping pictures of top-secret documents right off Putin’s desk.

     Russian papers were buzzing that this mole might be a man named Oleg Smolenkov. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Smolenkov did work in the presidential administration but said he was let go in 2016-2017. When asked if Smolenkov was a spy, Peskov played it cool, neither confirming nor denying anything.

     Meanwhile, the CIA had to yank this valuable agent out of Russia in 2017 because there were real fears that Trump and his crew might accidentally—or not so accidentally—blow his cover by mishandling classified info. The CIA, of course, shot back at this claim. Brittany Bramell, their public affairs director, insisted that any talk of Trump’s mishandling of intelligence leading to the extraction was flat-out wrong.

     The story goes that the CIA had tried to get their asset out as early as late 2016, but he initially turned them down because of family concerns. This hesitation sparked worries that the mole had turned double agent. But a few months later, he changed his mind and agreed to the extraction.

     As of today, Oleg Smolenkov is reportedly living in the United States under a new identity. After being extracted from Russia in 2017, he and his family were relocated for their safety. They initially settled in the Washington, D.C. area, but due to the sensitive nature of his situation, details about his current whereabouts are kept highly confidential to protect him from any potential threats.

     This real-life scenario has striking similarities to the fictional spy thriller Mission of Vengeance, where former Russian KGB spy Yury Bocharov defects to CIA spymaster Corey Pearson. Like Smolenkov, Bocharov’s defection raises doubts—is he truly a defector or a double agent planted by Russian intelligence to undermine U.S. efforts in the Caribbean? Bocharov aces the polygraph test at the U.S. embassy, which doesn’t fully convince Corey. As Corey points out, "KGB operatives are masters at beating those tests. They've got techniques to manipulate their heart rate, blood pressure, and sweat levels, making it hard to catch them in a fib."

     Despite his skepticism, Corey and his team ultimately determine that Bocharov is a true defector. They place him into the CIA's Witness Protection Program, giving him a new identity, much like the new life the real Smolenkov was given after his extraction.

     Oleg Smolenkov wasn’t just any asset; he was the key source behind U.S. intelligence’s conclusion that Putin himself had orchestrated Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election to help Trump and hurt Hillary Clinton. This CIA mole also tied Putin directly to the Democratic National Committee hacking that led to all those embarrassing email leaks.

     The New York Times even labeled this guy as the CIA’s most valuable asset inside Russia. In fact, some in U.S. intelligence say Smolenkov is as valuable as Adolf Tolkachev, the Soviet electronics engineer who provided key documents to the CIA between 1979 and 1985. Tolkachev gave the CIA detailed information about Soviet air-to-air missiles and fighter-interceptor aircraft radars used on the MiG-29, MiG-31 and Su-27. He was known as the “Billon Dollar Spy”: Read The CIA’s Billion Dollar Spy.

     But here’s the kicker with Smolenkov: pulling him out left a gaping hole in American intelligence. For years, he had been the eyes and ears inside the Kremlin, providing a direct line to Putin’s inner circle. His intel wasn’t just valuable—it was priceless. Without him, the CIA was suddenly operating blind, especially when it came to the 2018 midterms and the upcoming 2020 presidential election.

     And it wasn’t just the immediate aftermath that hurt. The loss of Smolenkov means that for any 2024 election interference, covert operations, or diplomatic maneuvers, the U.S. will be flying with much less insight into what Russia is planning. The timing couldn’t have been worse, with tensions escalating and the stakes now higher than ever.

     So, while Smolenkov might be safely hidden away in suburban America, living under a new name, the ripple effects of his extraction are still being felt in the corridors of power. The CIA is left to wonder—what is Russia planning next, and who can they trust to tell them? Without someone like Smolenkov, those answers are harder to come by, and the risks are higher than ever. 

Robert Morton is a member of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO) and authors the ‘Corey Pearson- CIA Spymaster’ series. Check out his latest spy thriller, ‘Mission of Vengeance’.