PHILBY HAS JOB AT RUSSIAN SPY H.Q. 'BRITISH DESK'

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP70B00338R000300220029-0
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 15, 2005
• Sequence Number: 29
• Publication Date: October 8, 1967
• Content Type: NSPR

LONDON TELEGRAPH
Approved For Releas 2669 3O : PA7 RDP70BOO338R000300220029-0
ai y .LFJ V A" 1 LV A A-1
K IM PHILBY, the former'British Intelligence officer' and journalist, who
was the "third man" in -the Burgess and Maclean case in 1951 and
finally took refuge in. Russia in 1963, is now acting as principal adviser
to the " British Desk " in the Russian intelligence service.
I learnt this yesterday on
the highest authority. Phil-
by's movements since he
arrived in Moscow in 1963
have been carefully observed
by. agents of Western intelli-
gence services.
He has been seen to make
regular visits to the large office
building. , on the Lubyanka'
Square which is the head-
quarters of the Soviet Commit-
tee for State Security, known
by its Russian initials K.G.B.
Philby's reported work for the
Novosti news agency, which sup-
plies ? feature material about
Rus9'ra to the foreign Press, is
known to be no more than a cover
to explain his source of income
and comparatively comfortable
circumstances.
The ? Vovosti agency, set up.
under Me. Khruschev, is, generally
known to be Itself mainly a cover 1934. It is known from
for Russian intelligence opera- Russian defectors that
Lions, with about 80 per cent. of Russian intelligence service
its staff consisting of employees completely disorganised
of the K.G.B. Stalin's purges of the 1930s.
top
the
was
by
Though his services will At that time even the men In
undoubtedly be highly valued. charge of security and .,espionage
Philby's present position leaves were themselves being shot. No
.him a long way from. the top of Russian then would dare to main- Real 'brain the Russian intelligence service, tain contact . with . a Western "
in which his influence and access agent.
The real "brain" ui the 4?iet
to infarmation will be strictly harm exa crated iniclligence service is special
;limited. __ committee of the Central
-
However long he has been in It is unlikely that Philby was` Committee of the Communist
the Russian service, the Russians Lusted and used at it time when maan , who isis heun4ede do ah y ,`
will still eye so skilful an operator top Russian spies were themselves 'R
i
'
uss
a
s super-spy:
with great suspicion, and will be being shot. Per-spy: Gen. ]ex-
ander Panyushkin.
unlikely to let him penetrate as The leakage of the Philb
"re
y
-
far into the Russian service as it velations" by the Russians is Philby will not be workin now
is claimed, in sensational accounts believed to be a further attempt in close contact with Gen. Pan
now the British. he penetrated into to discredit the British intelligence may well have con utlted hirrIen over
..service. But the official view is the handling of the recent' case
Experts of the Russian intelll {H,t Philby's treachery and defec- of Dr. Tkachenks '
genre services are sceptical agouti lion did less dams a to the o, the Ru
a
it is now organised, and comes Mr, Ivan Shishkin, who
was
under the general direction. of prominent in negotiations over
Col.-Gen. Nikolai Zakharov.,_,,_, the Tkachenko affair in London, i
is known to be a senior, *intelli-
gence off_tcer.
d
Foreign intelligence is only onebmefen ore an he retu Soviet
rned to Embassy Russia'
of the branches of the K.G.B. as
Philby's claim to have been work- ern intelligence operation inside ,scientist who was the causeiof
a
ing for the Russians steadily since Russia than had been suggested, scuffle between British , security
staff
Approved For Release 2006/01/30 : CIA-RDP70B00338R000300220029-0