WRFH/Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM - Undetected: Adolf Tolkachev

Episode Date: April 21, 2025

Megan and Alessia recount the story of one of the most daring Russian double agents in history, Adolf Tolkachev.

It was a freezing January day in Moscow. Evenings at this time of year were always depressing. Moscow's local CIA chief was just getting ready to head home from the office when he realized his gas was running low. Sighing to himself, he drove to a nearby gas station used by diplomats. After plugging the gas nozzle into his car, the chief began to climb back into his car when he saw a hooded figure approaching him from another car parked at a distance. The chief stood nervously as the figure stopped before him, clearly intending for a conversation. The chief had a feeling he might get mugged.

Are you an American? The man asked quietly in English, slightly accented with Russian. Yes, the chief replied. The man said nothing more, but moved into the space between the chief and his car. Leaning inside the open car door, he placed a folded piece of paper on the driver's car seat. Without a word, the man turned and walked away. The chief stared after him, the gas nozzle forgotten. That note is the beginning of the story of one of the most successful Soviet double agents ever known.

a man who would change the course of history forever. Welcome to Undetected on Radio Free Hillsdale. Go undercover with your hosts, Alessia Sandala and Megan Lee, as they uncover the stories of spies from every country and time. The most thrilling, yet the most secret of lives in history. Welcome back to Undetected, everyone. I'm Megan. And I'm Alessia.

Today we will be telling the story of the legendary Soviet spy, Adolf Tokachiv, who has been described as one of the CIA's most valuable human assets in the Soviet Union. This is the tale of incredibly dangerous espionage conducted right under the noses of the KGB. Let's dive in. Adolf Tolkechyev was born on January 6, 1927. Not much is known about his early life besides what motivated him to turn against the Soviet Union. He was married to Natalia Kuzmina. Natalia's father was Jewish and had spent many years in a labor camp during the purges of Stalin, while her mother was executed in 1938. It was these injustices that influenced Tolkachev to turn

against the Soviet Union. At the time of his espionage, Tolkechye was working on radar jamming tech and laser guidance systems for military aviation at a research institute in Moscow. Inspired by dissenters, Tolkachev decided to act. He passed many confidential notes to CIA officials, dropping more and more materials each time for two years before the CIA decided to trust him. Washington was paranoid at this time. The KGB had been known for using fake agents to trick the CIA, and tensions between the two countries were high, but Tokachev was persistent. At last, he was assigned a case officer. When Tokachev officially began his spy for the United States,

he was equipped with minuscule decoders and cameras, the size of matchbooks, that he would use to photograph top secret documents during his lunch breaks. These tools would be left as dead drops, hidden in Moscow pay phones or a dirty glove on the ground. To communicate with the CIA, Tokachev used code words over the phone. Case officers went great lengths to avoid KGB surveillance by just, disguising their identities or assuming a daily routine normal by all appearances that happened to cross past with Tolkachev. Those photos included information on Soviet fighter aircrafts in development and new models of airborne missile systems. The risk was immense.

Tokachev was using the institute's library for top secret documents that did not align with his field of work. Yet Tokachev pressed on. In June of 1980, he passed over a record amount of 200 rolls of film. His information enabled the Air Force to completely reverse its direction, on a multi-million dollar electronics package for the latest fighter aircraft. The detail of Tolkachev's work on Soviet missile systems was unlike anything the U.S. had been able to get their hands on before actual deployment. But around 1983, Phasotron upped its security regulations and an investigation took place

in his very department. Tokochev suspected the KGB was onto him. Tolkachev's suspicions turned out to be right. Even though the CIA and Tolkachev did business as usual from 1983 to 1984, with the CIA discussing how they could protect or even safely exfiltrate Tolkachev from Moscow, all accounts confirmed that the KGB knew of Tolkachev's betrayal by June of 1985. On June 13th, a CIA case officer was waiting at the place where he was supposed to meet Tokachev. But at the exact time of the meeting, the officer was jumped by more than a dozen KGB officers

who whisked him to Le Bianca, the KGB headquarters. After stripping the officer of all equipment, he had been about to pass to Tokachev, which included miniature cameras, documents, money, and art supplies for Tokachev's son. Oleg, the agent was set free around midnight. He had not revealed any information about Tokachov. But he didn't need to. Tokachev was gone, and a year later, a Soviet newspaper would report Tolkachev's execution for high treason. How did the Russians find out about Tolkachev?

His espionage was not the sort that would have immediate noticeable results. That's a great question, Megan. It is a testimony certainly to Tokachev and the CIA's carefulness, because it is unlikely that the KGB was able to track down Tokachev by themselves. Edward Lee Howard, a salty CIA officer, was strongly suspected of betraying Tokachev to the Russians. He had been assigned to Moscow and was aware of Tolkachev's operation, but before his departure, his employment had been terminated as a result of inappropriate behavior and dishonesty and security investigations.

Howard began drinking heavily and placed several harassment phone calls to the CIA chief in Moscow, and later a Soviet defector told the Americans about a former CIA officer contacting and meeting KGB officers and providing information on CIA operations. But even without Howard, Tokachev might have been betrayed by our old friend Aldrich Ames. And we have only scratched the surface of Tokachev's story. I'm Megan. And I'm Alessia. We hope you enjoyed this episode of Undetected. Tune in next week for the story of John Anthony Walker Jr.

A Navy officer found spying for the Soviet Union on Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM. SELMANNYANT HADY HADY HADY HADER HADY HADY HADES HAD.