Overview

Step into the covert world of Russian espionage with this revealinginsider's account of how the Russian Intelligence Services (RIS)operate across the globe. Drawing on years of CIA field experience, Sean M. Wiswesser exposes the tactics, tradecraft, and mindset of the RIS making this a must-read for anyone fascinated by spies, sabotage, and the high-stakes intelligence war between Russia and the West. Unmask the shadowy world of Russian espionage with this riveting exploration of the Russian Intelligence Services (RIS) and their global clandestine operations. With decades of experience as a CIA operations officer, author Sean M. Wiswesser takes readers deep into the heart of Maskirovka the Russian art of denial, deception, and manipulation. Using historical examples and firsthand accounts, this book reveals the tactics employed by the three main services of Russia's intelligence apparatus: the SVR, GRU, and FSB. Learn about the RIS' use of double agents, surveillance, and 'street work', honeytraps, sabotage, active measures, assassinations, the RIS roles in the Russo-Ukraine War, and much more. Wiswesser's unparalleled expertise comes from years of sitting across from Russian intelligence officers, operating overseas, and using their own methods against them. As a member of the CIA's expert cadre in the Directorate of Operations, he worked closely with the U.S. intelligence community and foreign allies, gaining a unique perspective on the RIS' global reach. Now, he shares that knowledge in a candid, plain-speaking style designed to inform and galvanize readers from all walks of life. This book is more than an expose it's a toolkit for understanding and countering the RIS' manipulative tactics. Wiswesser breaks down ten key elements of their tradecraft, offering invaluable insights to intelligence professionals, academics, business leaders, NGO workers, and private citizens alike. With a deep grounding in Russian language, culture, and intelligence traditions, he provides readers with the context they need to grasp the RIS' methods and motivations. Written for the general reader, this compelling account combines expert analysis with real-world stories, making it both accessible and deeply informative. Whether you're a practitioner in the field or simply curious about the world of espionage, the author's narrative will open your eyes to the global threat posed by Russian intelligence and equip you with the knowledge to recognise and resist their tactics. Prepare to be captivated, informed, and empowered.

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Reviews

""Tradecraft, Tactics, and Dirty Tricks is a fascinating story of Russian spycraft that details the double agents, honey traps, and murders that have marked Soviet and now Russian foreign policy for decades. Sean Wiswesser spent his CIA career studying, teaching, and confronting Russian spies all over the globe; in his book on Russian intelligence, he spills the beans on what Russian spies did and do, to challenge freedom and the West. Hard to put down, and harder to forget when falling asleep at night.""—John Nagl, author of Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife: Counterinsurgency Lessons from Malaya and Vietnam ""Sean Wiswesser has written the rare book that pairs rigorous tradecraft insight with lived experience. Drawing on decades countering Russia’s services, he maps how espionage, disinformation, and corruption actually work, and how to blunt them. The Ukraine case study is especially clarifying, but it’s the human stories that stay with you. Essential reading for practitioners, policymakers, and citizens alike who want to understand (and perhaps resist) Putin’s secret war.""—Jennifer Ewbank, former Deputy Director of CIA for Digital Innovation ""Sean Wiswesser’s personal reminiscences about encounters with Russian officers add authenticity to his narrative that is rare in books about Russian intelligence. His career as an operations officer lays a credible foundation for his interpretation and critique of Russian operations. Sean’s experiences allow him to give personal tribute to several Soviet and Russian defectors with whom he worked, introducing readers to otherwise unknown people who supported U.S. intelligence in the 1990s and 2000s.""—Kevin Riehle, Lecturer in Intelligence and International Security, Brunel University London ""Sean Wiswesser lifts the lid on the inner workings of the Russian security services. This is not a detached, scholarly account, but a plain-spoken, deeply authoritative, and often humorous exposé of an implacable foe by an experienced officer possessing a rare combination of Russia-oriented tradecraft, language, and cultural skills. Readers will be rewarded with a deeper understanding of the dangers and weaknesses of these organizations, so reflective of the tragic paradox of Russia itself.""—Gregory Sims, former CIA Station Chief   

""Tradecraft, Tactics, and Dirty Tricks is a fascinating story of Russian spycraft that details the double agents, honey traps, and murders that have marked Soviet and now Russian foreign policy for decades. Sean Wiswesser spent his CIA career studying, teaching, and confronting Russian spies all over the globe; in his book on Russian intelligence, he spills the beans on what Russian spies did and do, to challenge freedom and the West. Hard to put down, and harder to forget when falling asleep at night.""—John Nagl, author of Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife: Counterinsurgency Lessons from Malaya and Vietnam ""Sean Wiswesser has written the rare book that pairs rigorous tradecraft insight with lived experience. Drawing on decades countering Russia’s services, he maps how espionage, disinformation, and corruption actually work, and how to blunt them. The Ukraine case study is especially clarifying, but it’s the human stories that stay with you. Essential reading for practitioners, policymakers, and citizens alike who want to understand (and perhaps resist) Putin’s secret war.""—Jennifer Ewbank, former Deputy Director of CIA for Digital Innovation ""Sean Wiswesser’s personal reminiscences about encounters with Russian officers add authenticity to his narrative that is rare in books about Russian intelligence. His career as an operations officer lays a credible foundation for his interpretation and critique of Russian operations. Sean’s experiences allow him to give personal tribute to several Soviet and Russian defectors with whom he worked, introducing readers to otherwise unknown people who supported U.S. intelligence in the 1990s and 2000s.""—Kevin Riehle, Lecturer in Intelligence and International Security, Brunel University London ""Sean Wiswesser lifts the lid on the inner workings of the Russian security services. This is not a detached, scholarly account, but a plain-spoken, deeply authoritative, and often humorous exposé of an implacable foe by an experienced officer possessing a rare combination of Russia-oriented tradecraft, language, and cultural skills. Readers will be rewarded with a deeper understanding of the dangers and weaknesses of these organizations, so reflective of the tragic paradox of Russia itself.""—Gregory Sims, former CIA Station Chief  “This is an excellent book about the Russian Intelligence Services and the threat they pose to the West. It is informative, approachable and compelling, containing many illustrative examples from the author’s career. Written by a true expert, it should be mandatory reading for everyone in the U.S. Intelligence Community. Tradecraft, Tactics, and Dirty Tricks will be useful to experts but it is written with a style and clarity that recommend it to the interested citizen.”—Rob Dannenberg, former CIA Central Eurasia Division Chief and Chief of Russian Operations “If you don’t understand the Russian intelligence and security services, you simply can’t understand Russia. In Tradecraft, Tactics, and Dirty Tricks, Russian intelligence and Putin’s Secret War Sean Wiswesser richly and perceptively illustrates the root cause of Russian aggression, oppression, and destruction in the 21st Century – the unchanging nature and powerful influence of the modern Russian heirs of the Soviet KGB. Filled with authoritative and compelling detail, welcome clarity, and insightful nuance, Wiswesser’s book is required reading for any policymaker, intelligence officer, academic, or businessman dealing with Russian issues.” — Paul Kolbe, former Chief CIA Central Eurasia Division, Senior Fellow at Harvard Belfer Center Intelligence Project   

""Tradecraft, Tactics, and Dirty Tricks is a fascinating story of Russian spycraft that details the double agents, honey traps, and murders that have marked Soviet and now Russian foreign policy for decades. Sean Wiswesser spent his CIA career studying, teaching, and confronting Russian spies all over the globe; in his book on Russian intelligence, he spills the beans on what Russian spies did and do, to challenge freedom and the West. Hard to put down, and harder to forget when falling asleep at night.""—John Nagl, author of Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife: Counterinsurgency Lessons from Malaya and Vietnam ""Sean Wiswesser has written the rare book that pairs rigorous tradecraft insight with lived experience. Drawing on decades countering Russia’s services, he maps how espionage, disinformation, and corruption actually work, and how to blunt them. The Ukraine case study is especially clarifying, but it’s the human stories that stay with you. Essential reading for practitioners, policymakers, and citizens alike who want to understand (and perhaps resist) Putin’s secret war.""—Jennifer Ewbank, former Deputy Director of CIA for Digital Innovation ""Sean Wiswesser’s personal reminiscences about encounters with Russian officers add authenticity to his narrative that is rare in books about Russian intelligence. His career as an operations officer lays a credible foundation for his interpretation and critique of Russian operations. Sean’s experiences allow him to give personal tribute to several Soviet and Russian defectors with whom he worked, introducing readers to otherwise unknown people who supported U.S. intelligence in the 1990s and 2000s.""—Kevin Riehle, Lecturer in Intelligence and International Security, Brunel University London  

Author Information

Sean M. Wiswesser has nearly thirty years of experience working as a national security professional with intelligence, foreign service, and defense organisations. As a senior operations officer with the CIA, he served on multiple overseas tours and many other deployments on temporary duty, including war-zone service. He was a chief of station and had multiple joint-duty assignments with intelligence community partners. Sean was a Morehead Scholar at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill with a bachelor's degree in history and Russian & Slavic linguistics. He was awarded a Master of Strategic Studies in 2023 from the Air War College and received the Russia Integrated Deterrence Award.

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