I’m really excited that my book on the history of Russia’s “illegal” spies comes out soon. It’s taken me years of work and covers a century of Soviet/Russian history...

Below, a short thread about the book, as well as info on how to pre-order a copy.

Like many, I've been fascinated and confused by the mystery of Havana Syndrome for years.

Reported this long piece on the history and recent developments, talking to victims/sufferers, intel sources, scientists, and the authors of an upcoming book

theguardian.com/us-news/ng-int…

I spoke to three European intelligence heads over the past week to try to understand how seriously to take the latest “Russia attack” scare.

theguardian.com/world/2026/sep…

Normunds Mežviets of Latvia’s VDD was more cautious, as Baltic officials have been recently. He sees signs Moscow preparing for something but not imminent.

“It’s open Q if concrete plans or if just in context of overall attempts to spread fear and uncertainty in western society”

All had interesting things to say about the possible future trajectory of sabotage and other “hybrid” things. Full story: theguardian.com/world/2026/sep…

I spoke to former Pussy Riot activist Rita Flores, who recently admitted she had been forced to collaborate with the FSB for the past three years, on her life as an informant, how the FSB runs agents, and the sad state of the wartime Moscow art scene.

theguardian.com/world/2026/sep…

ICYMI last week: my long spy yarn on Russian opposition activist convicted in Poland as an FSB spy

It’s a look at the murky world of the Russia/Ukraine shadow war, with a colourful cast of characters and plenty of drama - both espionage and marital…

theguardian.com/news/ng-intera…

My longread about the case of Igor Rogov, Russian opposition activist arrested in Poland as an FSB spy.

It's a crazy story full of twists that reveals a lot about espionage, exile, the shadow Russia/Ukraine war and the long arm of the FSB...

theguardian.com/news/ng-intera…

My story on the increasingly bitter fall-out between Poland and Ukraine over WW2 history.

theguardian.com/world/2026/jul…

What would a Russian attack on Poland or the Baltics look like? And what happens if the Americans don’t get involved?

I’ve spent the last couple of months reporting this story

theguardian.com/world/ng-inter…

“They understand it’s a trend downwards. But I haven’t heard of them asking ... ‘What should we do about it then?’”

Contributed a few small bits to this great @PjotrSauer piece on Putin and the mood in Russia

theguardian.com/world/ng-inter…

Hungarian security operatives administered a “forced injection” to one of the Ukrainians detained earlier this month during a dramatic raid on bank vehicles carrying gold bars and tens of millions of dollars and euros in cash. // w @shaunwalker7

theguardian.com/world/2026/mar…

In 2023, Nataliia Daletska was told her son Nazar, a Ukrainian soldier, had died near the front. A DNA match confirmed it. There was a funeral, & he was buried in the local cemetery.

Then a few weeks ago, Nazar - very much alive - came home.

My story:

theguardian.com/news/ng-intera…

ICYMI: reposting my long story on intelligence backdrop to Putin's Ukraine invasion: how US/UK found out so much about Russian plans, why Europe & Zelenskyy didn't believe, & much more. 100+interviews & months of work, so I'll be happy if you have a read! theguardian.com/world/ng-inter…

The great Charlotte Higgins writes on the great Julia Kochetova and her photography of the war in Ukraine @yeah_kochetova @chiggi theguardian.com/artanddesign/2…

I've been working on this for ages in various countries: the story of the intelligence buildup to Putin's 2022 invasion. How did the US and Britain find out so much, and why were Europe and Ukraine sceptical.

It's a long one:

theguardian.com/world/ng-inter…

Email from WashPost after cancelling sub....Might just send it back to them

"We hope you’ll reconsider the value of the necessary and important work our journalists do to keep citizens informed. Absolutely nothing has changed about that. In fact, it’s more important than ever."

Some analysis on whether we are really, as Trump says, 95% towards a peace deal, and what the scenarios are if - shockingly - we aren't.

theguardian.com/world/2025/dec…

My story from travels in ukraine over the past few weeks on what feels like the hardest winter yet. Most people want peace but not in the way it’s being offered. Exhaustion is everywhere, and there and no easy answers.

theguardian.com/world/2025/dec…

Latest Trump plan is Ukraine withdraws from Donbas but Russia doesn't advance, Zelenskyy said in a briefing today.

“Who will govern this territory, which they are calling a ‘free economic zone’ or a ‘demilitarised zone’, they don’t know.”

theguardian.com/world/live/202…