“Zorin loses track of his lies … and the lies of his government, because he’s indifferent to both in pursuit of his own delusions of grandeur.” @michaeldweiss.bsky.social covers the fictionalized career of Russian spy-diplomat Gen. Alexander Zorin.

We know the familiar pattern: “Moscow still loves a loser: failed journalists, has-beens, also-rans, sex pests and disgruntled narcissists end up going to work for the Kremlin.” More essential reading from @michaeldweiss.bsky.social. open.substack.com/pub/macspaun...

New: We've translated in full a 1988 KGB training manual on how to infiltrate U.S. government facilities in the Middle East and North Africa. Something of a Russian growth industry these days, you might say. open.substack.com/pub/macspaun...

My friend @michaeldweiss.bsky.social weighs in on the recent New York City mayoral election and...whew open.substack.com/pub/macspaun...

Everyone loves or hates New York now. No thanks, says this New Yorker: open.substack.com/pub/macspaun...

New on Foreign Office, I talked to two of my favorite missile junkies, Fabian Hoffmann and Colby Badhwar, about Tomahawks, Flamingos, Ukraine's deep strike needs, Alabuga, and "A House of Dynamite": open.substack.com/pub/macspaun...

New: Meet the Unit 29155 operative who became such a well-known international judo champ in his cover life, the GRU decided to erase his real identity: theins.ru/en/inv/286477

A new GRU investigation dropping tomorrow. And later this week: a translated KGB trainining manual about infiltrating U.S. institutions. Oh, and cruise missile talk with two special guests. Subscribe to and follow Foreign Office: open.substack.com/pub/macspaun...

New: I acquired the private memoir of Gen. Alexander Zorin, a senior GRU officer who was Putin's envoy to Syria and is now leading POW exchanges with Ukraine. newlinesmag.com/reportage/th...

Sat down with Ed Bogan, a 24-year veteran of CIA and (maybe) former acting CoS Kyiv to discuss his and his aunt’s trip to Uzhhorod, the war, America’s role in it, and states of exception: open.substack.com/pub/macspaun...

Life achievement unlocked.

A new Russian film fictionalizes the adventures of the spy-diplomat Gen. Alexander Zorin. His memoir and the film’s draft scripts reveal Russian lies about its military operations in Syria, writes @michaeldweiss.bsky.social for @newlinesmag.bsky.social

New: I acquired the private memoir of Gen. Alexander Zorin, a senior GRU officer who was Putin's envoy to Syria and is now leading POW exchanges with Ukraine. newlinesmag.com/reportage/th...

Tomorrow a story I've worked on for over a year drops at @newlinesmag.bsky.social. It's GRU-related, but it's also unlike anything I've ever investigated or written. I don't know of anything remotely like it in the annals of GRU espionage.

Humphrey unbound.

Will be on @morningjoe-msnbc.bsky.social tomorrow at 6 am-ish to discuss sanctions, Trump, Putin, deep strikes, and Donetsk.

Now out from behind paywall.

Spoke to Ambassador Dan Fried, a veteran sanctions architect under multiple administrations, about the latest sanctions on Russian oil giants Rosneft and Lukoil, what they mean and what they don't mean. substack.com/@macspaunday...

It was real. First Russia sanctions under Trump this term. home.treasury.gov/news/press-r...

Bessent going further now:

Also good, if true.

Welcome development. Storm Shadow attack on the Russian chemical factory in Bryansk was part of this. Restrictions lifted before the Ze visit. And Hegseth isn’t calling the shots; SACEUR is now.

Moonstar and Skywalker shall never be silenced!

Something happened in the last five days on Russia-Ukraine. In which I parse the news and try to figure out what that something was: open.substack.com/pub/macspaun...

"All the intricacies and the elaborate schemes that the Soviets cooked up to snare people, to to dupe people, to inveigle and influence people. And now all of this stuff is literally being tweeted in real time." @michaeldweiss.bsky.social talks Anna Paulina Luna and JFK with @timmiller.bsky.social:

He’s already backpedaling. x.com/atrupar/stat...

He’s already backpedaling. x.com/atrupar/stat...

May you live in interesting times. open.substack.com/pub/macspaun...

MH17-style atrocity narrowly averted. @michaeldweiss.bsky.social, who exposed Russia's parcel bomb network, reveals for Euromaidan Press how close Europe came to mass casualties at Leipzig Airport.

Good stuff as always from Mr Weiss.

Europeans worry Trump’s TruthSocial post means he’s walking away from Ukraine. My latest on what that isn’t necessarily a bad outcome: macspaunday.substack.com/p/in-praise-...

💥👀 Based on Western intel docs & interviews with perpetrators’ relatives (and one himself), @vsquare.bsky.social & partners identified the ringleader—a Russian radioactive smuggler—and traced the explosive parcels’ route through the Baltics, Poland, Germany & the UK. @michaeldweiss.bsky.social

With Western security guarantees uncertain, Kyiv is turning to its elite, battle-hardened units as the core of a remodeled military, report @michaeldweiss.bsky.social and James Rushton for @newlinesmag.bsky.social

💥🕵️ NEW INVESTIGATION: We reveal the ringleader of the GRU’s parcel-bomb plot—a Russian radioactive-materials smuggler—trace the explosives’ route across NATO borders, and show how the GRU recruited Russians and Ukrainians in the West. @vsquare.bsky.social @michaeldweiss.bsky.social

NEW: With Western security guarantees uncertain, Kyiv is turning to its elite, battle-hardened units as the core of a remodeled military, report @michaeldweiss.bsky.social and James Rushton for @newlinesmag.bsky.social. newlinesmag.com/spotlight/in...

”One can’t blame a nation for being small or geographically vulnerable — only for being cheap and shortsighted.” @michaeldweiss.bsky.social spot on in this excellent piece on the Nordic-Baltic countries’ outsized contribution to Ukraine. They have demonstrated what small state power looks like.

NEW: The Nordic and Baltic states are driving a more robust European engagement on Ukraine amid apprehension over Trump’s dance with Putin, writes @michaeldweiss.bsky.social for @newlinesmag.bsky.social. newlinesmag.com/argument/the...

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy and other European leaders will arrive soon at the White House for their meeting with President Trump. @michaeldweiss.bsky.social and Evelyn Farkas join @alivitali.bsky.social to weigh in on what to watch for today. www.msnbc.com/ana-cabrera-...

"Trump comes away angry at both Putin and Witkoff. That's the best case scenario....and by the way, the Norwegians could do us a big favor just coming out and saying you're never gonna get" the Nobel Peace Prize. @michaeldweiss.bsky.social and @timmiller.bsky.social talk Trump's summit with Putin:

Drove to Aleppo in a Syrian rebel convoy in 2012. Interviewed an ISIS defector in Istanbul in 2015. Going to Boston for a source meeting in 2025? Yeah, this New Yorker is not taking any fucking chances, thank you very much.

"What if it wasn't accomplished, at least to the satisfaction of what he believes is necessary? Does that mean you're gonna do it again? And thus contradict everything you've just said? And it puts the Israelis in a bind too." @michaeldweiss.bsky.social‬ talks Iran with @timmiller.bsky.social:

NEW: Great, great, great conversation with the always-interesting @michaeldweiss.bsky.social — starting off with a little bit of news about "Havana Syndrome." www.youtube.com/watch?v=GClR...

Had CIA's very own @michaeldweiss.bsky.social down to the bunker to discuss 🕷️🕸️ and a lot more. Like & subscribe 🍵 youtu.be/k8KTt5JbqOU

@morningjoe-msnbc.bsky.social hit on Ukraine's "kill the archer" strategy and Russia's terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GcU...

My segment on @anacabrera.bsky.social's show on MSNBC today about Ukraine's stunning operation against Russian strategic bombers and why Ukraine's kinetic intelligence capability has traditionally been fettered by U.S. fears of escalation. And that's changing now: www.msnbc.com/ana-cabrera-...

Latest with @jimmyrushton.bsky.social: Ukraine didn’t just humiliate Vladimir Putin with its stunning FPV drone assault on Russia’s strategic bombers—it also embarrassed Donald Trump, who repeatedly dismissed Kyiv’s ability to fight without U.S. help t.co/9SqbwxSa35

Our latest investigation…