HOME
 TITLES
 INFO
 PRODUCT
 SUPPORT
 NEW TITLES
 SEARCH
 ORDER
 DOWNLOADS

E-mail List icon Sign up for our Email Announcements
 


 

FREE COLLECTION
John S. McCain POW CIA-Defense Department Documents

 Oleg Penkovsky - Soviet Double Agent - CIA Files

OLEG PENKOVSKY - SOVIET DOUBLE AGENT - CIA FILES

2,440 pages of CIA files covering Soviet military intelligence colonel and double agent, Oleg Penkovsky.

Oleg Penkovsky went from a Russian World War II military hero, to becoming America's best human intelligence asset in the Soviet Union. He believed that Nikita Khrushchev's leadership was taking the Soviet Union onto the path of destruction. Penkovsky was the highest level Soviet officer to ever spy for the United States or British Intelligence. The Penkovsky case is considered to have been the most successful Cold War espionage operation. Penkovsky was observed by KGB agents after a meeting with a British intelligence contact, which lead to his arrest and execution.

This group of documents highlights the highs and lows of the intelligence business. The recruitment of a well-placed spy, in this case a high-ranking Soviet military intelligence officer, lessened the tensions of the Cold War by providing information on the intentions, strength, and technological advancement of the Soviet Union. At the same time, the enormous risks for the spy himself became evident in the fate of Penkovsky, shot as a traitor by the Soviets in 1963 for spying for the United States and United Kingdom. These documents provide an over-the-shoulder look from the perspective of the CIA Director as well as from Penkovsky himself in operational meeting reports. This collection offers insights on the spy's motives as well as the fruit of his espionage for the United States. Files included: CIA reports on the top secret Soviet intelligence reports provided by Penkovsky; Penkovsky's debriefings to CIA and SIS officials during visits  to England and France.

Penkovsky allowed the administrations of President Eisenhower and President Kennedy to bypass the bluster and rhetoric of Nikita Khrushchev, and to know the true facts concerning Soviet military preparedness. The files indicate that Penkovsky's acts of espionage were able to define for the United Sates the limitations of Soviet power. Through Penkovsky, the United States learned of the number of nuclear missiles the Soviets held and the problems with their guidance systems. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, Penkovsky was able to provide information on how those missiles operated in the field. Soviet GRU (military intelligence) documents provided by Penkovsky, show the friction between the Soviet high command over whether Soviet military strategy should depend on nuclear weapons, or general purpose forces.

penkovsky1
penkovsky2
penkovsky3
penkovsky4

FREE COLLECTION
John S. McCain POW CIA-Defense Depart Documents

FREE COLLECTION
President Richard Nixon's Enemies List - Documents, White House Recordings and Interviews