Alienated Russians urged to contact CIA using darknet

THE CIA says Russians disaffected by Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine may be trying to get in touch with US intelligence – and it wants them to go to the darknet.

The agency yesterday began a push to promote its presence on a part of the internet accessible only through specialised tools that provide more anonymity. The CIA has a darknet site that has the same features as its regular homepage but accessible only through the Tor internet browser, which has encryption features not available on most regular browsers.

Instructions in English and Russian on how to access the darknet site appeared yesterday on the CIA’S social media channels. The agency hopes Russians living abroad can share the instructions with contacts inside the country. It remains critical for Western intelligence agencies to recruit human sources who can offer insight into the Kremlin and conditions inside Russia.

A CIA official speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence matters says the agency knows “there are concerned Russians who are desperately trying to reach CIA”.

Tor, short for “The Onion Router”, routes internet traffic through third parties to mask a user’s identity and destination. Using Tor strips away cookies and many other means of tracking the typical internet user. While no form of communication is completely secure at all times, intelligence officers say a tipster will be better protected on the darknet from Russian snooping.