KREMLIN REJECTING STALIN-TYPE SPY PURGE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000600290029-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 3, 1999
• Sequence Number: 29
• Content Type: NSPR

ciUN Ofri.1
WASDIN STAR Approved For Release 2000/04/14 PGA&7
INTERPRETATION- 3
Although Oleo Penkovsky re- The most p minent official
portrdly had contacts within
fhn C....l . .. _ .~ imnlIenteri in the Tweetts
By BERNARD GWEItTZIUAN This means that no one so t
Stalin-Type Spy Purge
Kremlin Rejecting
The Izvestia article, in the itrto betray his country for
form of questions and answers. material bt sits. As a result,
taken during his- work was ,an when he M'as first arrested.
administrative official in a So- This VIVA' has held that Col.
viet scientific agency. Penkovsky I?as a corrupt per-
son. lur , by British and
ltejecta Political Motive Americs.n~ itelligence agents
Viet Unions, defense establish-'road approach to the Penkov-
ment was not damaged by Col., sky case in order not to de-
Penkovsk, s activities. This was mornlize the population who
an effort to calm Soviet citihave a dread fear of another
tens RL,o might have been i Stalinist purge.
alarmed by the information Despite persistent reports in
produced at. his trial. , the Wesb that Col. Penkovsky
Col. Penkovsky had con- ;Was a spy for political reasons.
fessed to turning over about' the official Soviet view has not
Izvestia, the official govern - ' Experts here believe the So-
mrnt n"wspnprr said the So %let government has taken the
-scan government apparently title was Marshal Sergei Va
has decided against a Stalin- rentsov, feermer chief of the So
type purge in the aftermath of Viet tactical missile forces. Ac
phis spy trial. cording to Izvestia, investiga
Reports from* Moscow con-, Lion showed that Marshal Va-
firmed the opinion of top unit-! I entsov was a friend of Col.
ed States analysts that the11'enkovsky's who Interceded for,
Russians do not want to im- I him when he was to be retired i
plicate --or severely punish-i from the army, and later got
more than a minimum of Col.hlm his Job in the scientific
Penkovsky's essociates, He was agency. Marshal Varentsoy was
executed two weeks ago, short emoted."
lv after his e. e jctlon on es- unt- r- _- _..,_---_
sn love
ee
>trracnery was Clue to personal -Iw~.c~oirc yr+~ACLS W\'ILU West-
_e erners in 1L[ Pu'_ Pravda even
:'iity dofert c-~.ar
ri
"Most of the people who met (?f ,'' , u:,rcois 'de-:
nor' avoid thej
article said. It said his closet
friends were not criminally re-'
In Stalin's time, an espionage'
trial ruch as Col. Penkovsky's,
would almost certainly roves
been followed by widcsprrad'
executions and ptrgps from.
miilt.nry and party ranks.
IRLICrL
ni Sclrr,tii e Research
Vol k.
~rrre inx in their
...... ..._?- ..u > LM.nL
1ruIitr1r1' attach'. in ', urkey he-
fore hr tons; his pour with the
Appro4eo-' 0 ; od e,20POI94/14 : CIA- DP75-00149R000600290029-7