SMERSH Unit Revived in Russia – UK Defence Intelligence

Russian politicians announced in late 2023 that the Soviet counterintelligence unit SMERSH was being re-established, and photos of operatives wearing SMERSH uniform patches appeared in open sources in early January, UK Defence Intelligence reports.

The update explained that the unit’s name is an abbreviation of the Russian phrase "Death to spies". The unit was founded by Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin and existed from 1941 to 1946.

It is reported that it is currently unclear whether the new name indicates any significantly new capabilities or role for Russian counterintelligence, or whether it is simply a rebranding.

UK Defence Intelligence emphasised, however, that this is another example of how "the Russian authorities consciously couch the Russia-Ukraine conflict in the spirit of the Second World War, and their strong focus on the supposed infiltration of external threats into the country".

On 7 January, UK Defence Intelligence noted that the Russian Guard (Rosgvardia) is strengthening its resources and personnel against a background of turmoil in Russia's internal security caused by the war against Ukraine.

The review before that concluded that the downing of three Russian Su-34 fighter jets over Ukraine's south had affected the Russians’ operations on the left bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast.

UK Defence Intelligence also reported that ground combat operations in Ukraine over the past week have featured either a static front line or very gradual, localised advances by Russian forces in critical areas.