Russian Spying on US Embassy in Russia

In 1969, President Nixon negotiated with Russia and we both agreed to build new embassies in each other's countries.

Mid 1970's, the Russians had hacked and bugged 16 electric typewriters used in the US embassy in Russia and was able to pick up what was being typed in real time. They spied on us for 8 years before we discovered it in 1984.

1978, It was discovered that the existing embassy was bugged. We found a hidden tunnel with an antenna that went under the street to the other side where a Russian spy was caught in the act of spying on us.

In 1979, we stared on the brand new embassy, simultaneously while the Russians built theirs. In Russia's contract they specifically stated that all building materials would be made on site, built by Russians, with Russian building plans, under the supervision of Russian security experts. Trees were taken there and milled to make the boards used. Metal was melted onsite to make all the metal parts such as the I beams, and x-rayed there. Everything used to build the building was under the strictest security without allowing Americans onsite. For the US embassy in Moscow, we did it different. The Russians made the building plans, built the building using their materials, under their own supervision, we finished out the building by installing windows, carpeting etc. Immediately we realized there was a problem.

1982, US secretly in the middle of the night had security experts using climbing ropes on the outside of the unfinished building looking for bugs using x-ray equipment.

By 1985, we threw all the Russian workers out even though the building was 2/3's done.

November 15,1988, in a story written by Elaine Sciolino of The New York Times stated: "They discovered interconnecting systems so sophisticated that they couldn't be removed from the steel and concrete columns, the beams, the precast concrete floor slabs and sheer walls between the concrete columns. They found electronic 'packages' were a piece of steel reinforcement in the flooring should have been. They found resonating devices that allowed the Russians to monitor precisely both electronic and verbal communications." They found cables in concrete. Ronald Kessler wrote a book called Moscow Station, How the KGB Penetrated the American Embassy that says the bug were found in the i beams where the welds were, constructed where the welds were. so even if x-rayed they were undetectable.

A US Marine working security for the site was compromised by seductive Russian Women who then blackmailed him. He gave them blueprints to US Embassies. He received a 9 year prison sentence.

In 1987, News stations reported there was a lack of security at the spied upon embassy, and that the whole thing would need to be torn down all over again for about one billion dollars.

April 7, 1987, Ronald Regan said in a speech: "The United States won't occupy the new embassy unless I can be assured of it's safety and security." He also said that they would not rehire Russians the next time."

1989, Ronald Regan ordered the embassy be destroyed and rebuilt all over again. New floors were added upon the old unsecured floors. This time American materials, blueprints, labor and American security supervised the construction.

2017 Under President Trump, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson just awarded a no bid contract to a Russian company owned by a veteran Russian spy to do all the security for the entire embassy. Literally, we are handing them the keys to the building.