KGB Major Vladimir Kuzichkin defection detailed in new book

In his new book, ‘Redwood: The Untold Story of the Cold War’s Most Extraordinary Spy’, journalist Ben Macintyre details the 1981 defection of KGB Major Vladimir Kuzichkin in Tehran. Kuzichkin, an officer in Directorate S, approached MI6 officer Ian McCredie during the height of the Islamic Revolution to betray Soviet secrets.

Kuzichkin provided critical intelligence regarding Soviet efforts to influence Iran, including weapons caches, communist agents within the Iranian military, and potential coup plots involving the Tudeh Party. To avoid detection by Revolutionary Guards, the intelligence meetings were conducted in a bathroom within the British Embassy compound with running water to mask their voices.

The narrative follows the high-stakes operation from Kuzichkin’s initial approach to his perilous overland escape into Turkey, exploring the personal motivations behind his betrayal and the subsequent impact of his intelligence on Western powers.