Putin's Spies Expelled by West Bemoan Lack of Jobs in Russia

Staff at Moscow's diplomatic missions in the West expelled due to Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine have found it tough to get work upon their return to Russia, it has been reported.

Disgruntled diplomatic staff have signed a letter to Putin about their predicament. It is described as a personal tragedy for many, according to The Insider. The independent Russian-language investigative news outlet said the missive came from a source in the Russian presidential administration, although the names of its 11 signatories are blacked out.

After Putin launched his full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022, the U.S. led the international response in imposing sanctions aimed at isolating Russia's economy.

The measures included the expulsion of 698 Russian diplomats from EU countries, with The Insider reporting that almost half of them were career officers of the intelligence services, the GRU, the SVR and the FSB.

The letter says that, following the start of what the Kremlin calls a "special military operation," the European Union, among others, "declared a diplomatic war on our country" in which intelligence officers "carrying out difficult and sometimes risky" work had to leave European countries.

For many families of these officers, "the unexpected departure from diplomatic missions became a personal tragedy and gave rise to numerous problems," the letter said. These included paying for accommodation in Moscow and finding school and kindergarten places for their children.

"Almost all" of the wives of these staff "have higher education and have gone to find work themselves, but there are simply no decent professions and salaries," the letter added.

The Insider shared screenshots of the missive that suggested that Russian Foreign Ministry attempts to find places for the expelled employees at other Russian embassies in Africa, Asia, South America and former Soviet countries have not yielded success because posts are already held.

The letter also took issue what it said were reports in the West accusing Russian intelligence officers "incompetence and inaction, and sometimes even of gross unprofessionalism," amid accounts they got drunk and into fights.

It also said that, prior to the invasion, Russian intelligence officers in the country had given vital information about Ukraine's military capabilities. The Insider said how the GRU had provided unheeded warnings to Moscow that Ukrainians would not welcome Russian troops as liberators.

The Insider reported that some of the signatories to the letter said that the complaints had emanated "not from the officers themselves... but their wives," one of whom took offense at being advised to deliver pizzas.

"Vladimir Vladimirovich [Putin], we would like to emphasize that we are not complaining, we are seeking fairness," the letter added.

Newsweek has contacted the Kremlin by email for comment.

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