Yuri Borysovych Shvets (born 16 May 1953) is a former Soviet intelligence officer of Ukrainians origin. He was a Major in the KGB between 1980 and 1990. From April 1985 to 1987, he was a resident spy in Washington, D.C.[ This is a Russian translation of an article originally published in Italian. The original website is a dead link.]
Biography
Shvets graduated in international law from the Patrice Lumumba Peoples' Friendship University (now the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia). He also graduated from the Academy of Foreign Intelligence,
where he reportedly studied alongside
Vladimir Putin.
Career in the KGB
In his 1995 book, Washington Station, Shvets alleges he had recruited two key sources of political intelligence — "Socrates", a former aide to President Jimmy Carter with strong ties to Greece, and his wife "Sputnitsa" (), a journalist working in Washington.
Move to America
After publishing a book describing his exploits and ultimate falling-out with the KGB, Shvets was banned from foreign travel. In 1993, he moved permanently to the United States, where he later gained citizenship.
Shvets was a key source for the 2021 book American Kompromat by Craig Unger,
Involvement with Alexander Litvinenko
In 2006, Shvets emerged as a potentially key witness in the poisoning of ex-Federal Security Service officer Alexander Litvinenko. In an interview with the BBC, broadcast on 16 December 2006, Shvets said that he and Litvinenko had compiled a report investigating the activities of senior Moscow Kremlin officials on behalf of a British company looking to invest "dozens of millions of dollars" in a project in Russia. Shvets said the dossier about Sergei Ivanov was so incriminating, it was likely that Litvinenko was murdered because of it.[ Юрий Швец: Путин отмывал деньги наркокартеля. Дело Литвиненко / Видео №5., Jun 16, 2021] He said that Litvinenko had shown the dossier to another business associate, Andrei Lugovoi, who had worked for the FSB and had passed the dossier to his superiors in Moscow. Shvets was interviewed about it by Scotland Yard detectives investigating Litvinenko's murder.
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