Explained: What is DKRO, the covert and most-feared spy agency of Russia?

With around 2,000 elite officers, the DKRO enjoys generous pay, bonuses, and perks like low-cost mortgages, ensuring their loyalty to the Kremlin

In the history of espionage, few organisations inspire as much fear and fascination as Russia’s KGB (Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti). During the Cold War, this Soviet-era intelligence agency was not just a spy unit but an enforcer of covert state operations.

 

The fall of the KGB and the rise of Russia’s modern spy agencies

 

To Soviet citizens, the KGB was an omnipresent force, its influence felt in whispered conversations and unspoken fears. For the West, it was a shadowy adversary, capable of influencing world events.

 

However, the collapse of the Soviet Union also led to the decline of the KGB’s monolithic power. In its place rose the Federal Security Service (FSB), which inherited much of the KGB’s domestic focus. The FSB became responsible for protecting Russia’s borders, countering terrorism, and maintaining internal order in the post-Soviet era.

 

The birth of DKRO: A post-Cold War ghost agency

 

Amid the shifting landscape of global intelligence, the rise of cyber warfare and geopolitical challenges demanded a more specialised approach. This led to the formation of units like the Department for Counterintelligence Operations (DKRO), a secretive division within the FSB.

 

The DKRO traces its roots to the KGB’s second main directorate, tasked with counterintelligence during the Soviet era. Established during Russia’s chaotic post-Soviet restructuring, the DKRO initially focused on monitoring foreign investors and visitors in the 1990s. Over time, it evolved into a formidable counterintelligence unit, specialising in neutralising foreign threats and suppressing domestic dissent.

 

Comprising approximately 2,000 highly trained officers, the DKRO is an elite force within Russia’s security apparatus. These officers enjoy significant privileges, including high salaries, bonuses, and perks such as low-cost mortgages, ensuring their unwavering loyalty to the Kremlin, according to The Wall Street Journal.

 

How does the DKRO operate?

 

The DKRO blends traditional counterintelligence tactics with psychological warfare to intimidate its targets. Foreign diplomats, journalists, and even tourists in Russia often face surveillance and harassment.

 

The unit is notorious for shadowing individuals, making arrests on dubious espionage charges, and leaving unsettling messages—such as burned cigarettes on toilets or even feces in suitcases. High-profile arrests, such as Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in 2023 and former US Marines Paul Whelan and Trevor Reed, highlight its strategic use of detentions for political leverage.

 

Beyond arrests, the DKRO employs petty acts of sabotage, such as flattening embassy car tires or orchestrating the mysterious deaths of diplomats’ pets. These actions serve as both intimidation tactics and displays of dominance.

 

DKRO’s role in the Russia-Ukraine war

 

The invasion of Ukraine has amplified the DKRO’s importance in Russia’s military and political strategy. Internationally, the agency focuses on disrupting foreign intelligence activities, monitoring diplomats, and executing covert sabotage operations. Reports suggest that DKRO agents have disrupted transportation networks and gathered intelligence on Ukrainian officials.

 

Domestically, the DKRO has intensified efforts to suppress dissent, track opposition figures, and ensure the regime’s stability. It has also played a role in purging disloyal officials within the Russian Defence Ministry, aligning with the Kremlin’s broader wartime objectives.

 

How does the DKRO differ from the FSB?

 

Although the DKRO operates under the FSB, it has a narrower focus on counterintelligence. While the FSB oversees a wide range of operations, including border security, counterterrorism, and cyber warfare, the DKRO specialises in targeting foreign threats and dissent within Russia’s borders. This focus allows it to operate with precision and efficiency.

 

A legacy of fear and intrigue

 

The DKRO has cemented its reputation as one of the world’s most enigmatic and feared intelligence units. Known for its high-profile detentions and psychological intimidation tactics, the agency operates with ruthless precision.

 

“They’re relentless,” former CIA station chief Dan Hoffman told The Wall Street Journal. “Smart, ruthless, and resourceful, the DKRO knows its targets better than they know themselves.”