RUSSIA has unleashed a shadowy new spy unit tasked with sabotage, cyber attacks and assassinations across Europe, Western intelligence officials say.
The Department of Special Tasks – or SSD – is believed to be behind covert missions straight out of a Cold War thriller.
That includes botched assassination plots, explosive-laden aircraft, and cyber strikes designed to throw Western powers off balance.
Intelligence sources believe the SSD was created in 2023, forged in the fires of the Ukraine war as Moscow ramped up its war against the West.
Dr. Lance Hunter, an expert on international relations and intelligence at Augusta University, described the SSD as more than just another Russian intelligence unit.
He said it is Frankenstein ‘KGB 2.0’ — stitched together from multiple agencies and turned into a force that can strike anywhere, anytime.
Dr Hunter told The Sun: “The SSD can be viewed somewhat similarly to the KGB under the Soviet Union.
“However, the SSD employs modern tactics such as cyber operations and operates within Russia’s larger military intelligence structure.
He mentioned that it aims to bring together various aspects of Russia’s intelligence services, frequently collaborating with and working in conjunction with other specialized Russian forces.
Dr. Hunter further elaborated that the SSD is based in the notorious “Aquarium,” the headquarters of the GRU in Moscow, and likely comprises experienced individuals from Russia’s daring black operations history.
The unit has been linked to a string of high-stakes plots, including a failed hit on the CEO of a German arms company and a scheme to plant incendiary devices aboard DHL cargo planes, the WSJ reports.
The Kremlin sees the West as fair game following attacks on its turf – ranging from the Nord Stream pipeline blasts to the assassinations of key officials inside Russia, Ukrainian outlet Pravda reports.
With its usual flair for deniability, the Kremlin has denied any involvement in SSD operations.
James Appathurai, Nato’s deputy assistant secretary general for hybrid and cyber, warned: “Russia believes it is in conflict with what it calls ‘the collective West’ and is acting accordingly—right up to threatening us with nuclear weapons.”
The SSD is believed to have swallowed up several rival factions within Russia’s sprawling spy network.
That includes powers previously held by the FSB and GRU Unit 29155—the same outfit blamed for the 2018 poisoning of Sergei Skripal on British soil.
But this time, the playbook has evolved.
Dr Hunter explained the SSD blends old-school spycraft with modern tactics like cyber warfare and sabotage.
Their agents are trained to move silently, strike hard, and vanish without a trace.
And when something goes boom and no one knows who did it—chances are, it’s them.
“The SSD is made up of well-trained operators and undercover agents who are selected based on their ability to maneuver secretly in other countries,” Dr Hunter said.
“The unit often targets countries that support Ukraine or oppose Russia, including military assets, political dissidents, and infrastructure.
“It also frequently uses techniques that are difficult to track, employing numerous forms of offensive cyber operations to weaken its targets.”
The SSD can be viewed somewhat similarly to the KGB under the Soviet Union.
Dr Lance Hunter
Their three-pronged mission? Assassinations, infiltration, and recruitment.
SSD agents are reportedly targeting Western universities and companies, while also poaching foreign operatives from countries aligned with Moscow, such as Serbia and parts of the developing world, according to the WSJ.
They also oversee Senezh—Russia’s elite special ops training facility—turning out hardened operatives ready to deploy in hostile territory.
The unit is run by Colonel General Andrei Averyanov, whose name is already infamous in espionage circles, and his deputy, Lieutenant General Ivan Kasianenko.
Czech authorities have issued an arrest warrant for Averyanov over a 2014 explosion at an ammunition depot.
The EU slapped sanctions on SSD operatives in December, accusing them of orchestrating bombings, cyberattacks, and even attempted coups across Europe.
Meanwhile, the US has indicted multiple members and is offering a $10 million reward for information on five agents tied to cyberattacks against Ukraine.
Activity peaked last summer — but things have gone suspiciously quiet since then.
Despite a peak in SSD activity last summer, intelligence officials say Russian operations have recently slowed.
“The lull in activity could be aimed at creating diplomatic space for Moscow to negotiate with the new US administration,” the WSJ reported, citing two European intelligence chiefs.
Dr Hunter added: “It is tough to predict what to expect from the SSD in the months and years ahead.
“However, the success of Russian forces in Ukraine may have an impact on how Russia uses the SSD to project strength worldwide and attack rivals.
“Highly publicised SSD attacks may prompt Western and NATO countries to increase their coordination in order to counter the SSD.”
What was the KGB?
THE KGB — short for Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti or Committee for State Security — was the Soviet Union’s main security, intelligence, and secret police agency.
It operated from 1954 until the collapse of the USSR in 1991.
A formidable and shadowy institution, it combined the roles of the CIA, FBI, and NSA all in one, and became one of the most powerful and feared arms of the Soviet state.
Its duties were vast: it spied on foreign governments, ran covert operations abroad, cracked down on political dissidents and “enemies of the state” at home, guarded state secrets, and ensured the loyalty of the population through a vast surveillance network.
Inside the USSR, the KGB was notorious for its repression — including bugging homes, planting informants, arresting writers and activists, and sending thousands to gulags.
Internationally, it trained and deployed spies, meddled in foreign elections, stole Western technology, and hunted defectors.
During the Cold War, the KGB was locked in a ruthless game of espionage with its Western counterparts, particularly the CIA and MI6.
After the Soviet Union fell in 1991, the KGB was officially dissolved.
Its many functions were split among successor agencies — most notably the FSB (Federal Security Service), which remains Russia’s internal security agency today and has retained much of the KGB’s mindset, structure, and power.
