Marius Bostan

After further confirmation that everything Epstein did was part of a Russian honey trap, Polish Foreign Minister @sikorskiradek asked, “Could SVR be this effective?” My answer is simple — yes, of course it can, because they have been doing this for over a century. But I fully understand Mr. Radosław's question, because it is hard to believe how impressive the activities of Russian intelligence have been. To better understand the scale of the disaster, here is a brief historical overview of the honey trap program: The honey trap has been a separate area of work since the days of the NKVD. It is known for certain that during the KGB era, the PGU (First Chief Directorate of the KGB) was responsible for it — this immediately demonstrates how seriously the Soviets took it. They never spared any expense on this program, and it became the most effective element of intelligence. One of the most famous examples is the “romance” between Albert Einstein and Margarita Konenkova. When they first met in 1935, Einstein was 56 and Konenkova was 39. She was the wife of the famous sculptor Sergei Konenkov, who was “accidentally” chosen to make a sculpture of Einstein. From the first day they met, the girl did not leave the scientist's side, and their “romance” instantly took off. Thanks to her natural charm, Margarita instilled in Einstein the ideas necessary for the party, a love of Russian culture, and even persuaded him to meet with the Soviet consul. Stalin, who believed that the scientist would be much more useful to the Soviet Union as a “useful idiot,” strangely saved Albert from becoming an informant. In 1945, Konenkova and her family were recalled to their homeland in the USSR, and she and Einstein never saw each other again. The quality of the spy's work can be judged by the fact that he secretly wrote dozens of love poems for her. Another example of the quality of Soviet intelligence work was Eleanor Roosevelt's lover, who turned out to be an NKVD agent and was able to become a “strong support” for the First Lady of the United States after she learned of her husband's betrayal. Thanks to her information, another Soviet agent, Alger Hiss (convicted by the House Un-American Activities Committee), convinced Roosevelt not to demand guarantees of security and free democratic elections for Poland and all territories occupied by Soviet troops from Stalin. Hiss also managed to convince the US president not to force Stalin to respect human rights and weaken the cannibalistic regime in the Soviet Union. Thus, US assistance to the USSR in the fight against Nazi Germany was not tied to any demands for democratization and reduction of repressive pressure. De facto, Alger Hiss, as head of the Office of Special Political Liaison, which was responsible for strategic planning, became the chief American negotiator at the Yalta Conference, where the fate of post-war Europe was decided. He was also responsible for creating the UN in a way that was extremely beneficial to the USSR. The result of the activities of Eleanor Roosevelt and Alger Hiss was that: The Allies sold Poland to the Soviet Union, literally returning it to the clutches of the Russian Empire. This was an absolutely unacceptable act, since Britain had entered the war precisely because of the joint invasion of Poland by Germany and the USSR. Polish pilots literally saved Britain from complete defeat in the air against the Wehrmacht. Hundreds of thousands of people who fled to the West from persecution by the NKVD were deported to the Soviet Union, where their fate was unknown. In modern times, a particularly successful example of a honey trap was the mother-in-law of oligarch Roman Abramovich, Elena Zhukova, who married media mogul Rupert Murdoch. This billionaire's empire includes major media outlets such as the Wall Street Journal, Fox, and the Times. As for Epstein himself, here we have a striking example of another probable FSB agent, Ghislaine Maxwell. Her involvement in Russian intelligence has not been formally proven, but all the facts point to it. Ghislaine was the daughter of a Soviet spy, Robert Maxwell. She was arrested by the US FBI in July 2020 and charged with soliciting minors and trafficking minors for sex. In December 2021, she was found guilty on five of six counts, including human trafficking. In June 2022, she was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Maxwell met Jeffrey Epstein in the early 1990s at a party in New York, and they immediately hit it off. Her connections, inherited from her father, were extremely valuable to Epstein. Ghislaine, in turn, gained access to the powerful of this world — from Prince Andrew to Trump. How Maxwell worked: She found vulnerable young girls (often from poor families, at spas, schools) She prepared them for Epstein's “massages” Personally taught them sexual practices Normalized the abuse with her presence as an “older woman” Managed the logistics of transportation between Epstein's residences Sometimes personally participated in the abuse This is very similar to the training of KGB operatives who then participated in seduction operations. Also, in every large hotel within reach of the KGB, special rooms were equipped with wiretaps and video surveillance. Clients who were caught were shown the recorded material and forced to cooperate. I am sure that we are not aware of all the successful honey trap cases. But here are some more high-profile examples: William John Christopher Vassall (1924–1996), a clerk at the British Admiralty. Isolated because of his homosexuality (a criminal offence at the time) and class humiliation at the embassy, Vassall became an easy target. On March 19, 1955, he was invited to a party where he was plied with drink and photographed in compromising positions with several men. Under blackmail, he agreed to cooperate and handed over thousands of secret documents on British radar technology, torpedoes, and anti-submarine equipment. After the transfer, he was thrown into the trash, and in Britain, he received 18 years in prison. Maurice Dejean (1899–1982), French ambassador to the USSR, personal friend of de Gaulle. The operation involved more than 100 KGB officers under the leadership of Oleg Gribanov. After a failed attempt to seduce Dejean through Khovanskaya, the KGB used actress Larisa Kronberg-Sobolevskaya. During the date, her “husband” (a KGB agent) burst in and brutally beat the ambassador. Dejean turned to his “Soviet friend” — also a KGB agent — for help. After calming down a little, the “husband” threatened to report the ambassador to the police. To avoid a scandal, Dejean had to turn to his Moscow acquaintances for help, and they, of course, provided it. That same evening, Dejean met with Gribanov, who was introduced to him as an advisor to the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, Gorbunov. Gorbunov/Gribanov promised to help. In return, Dejean was asked to do a small favor for the Soviet government. Thus began the long-standing collaboration between the French ambassador and the KGB. Sergeant Clayton J. Lonetree (born 1961), security guard at the US Embassy in Moscow. KGB agent Violetta Seina met Lonetree at a Marine Corps ball in November 1985, on the eve of the Gorbachev-Reagan summit, where Lonetree was providing security. Their romantic relationship turned into recruitment. Lonetree handed over the plans of the embassies in Moscow and Vienna, the names and photos of nine CIA officers, and a telephone directory. John Watkins (1902–1964), Canadian ambassador to the USSR. Watkins was photographed during homosexual contact with agent “Kamal.” The KGB demanded that he “be friendly” to Soviet interests. Watkins reported to Ottawa but concealed the sexual nature of the incident. After being exposed by defectors, the RCMP interrogated him in Paris and London. On October 12, 1964, Watkins died of a heart attack during an interrogation at a Montreal hotel. James Hudson, Deputy Consul General of Great Britain in Yekaterinburg. A 4-minute 18-second video titled “Mr. Hudson's Adventures in Russia” appeared on the website informacia. ru. The recording showed Hudson in a hotel room with two women, champagne, and sex. The website hinted at the existence of additional materials about gambling and “soft drugs.” Bela Kovacs, Member of the European Parliament from Hungary (2010–2019). This is a story involving a true veteran of honey traps, Svetlana Iostoshina, who was simultaneously married to a Japanese nuclear physicist, an Austrian criminal, and Kovacs. Kovács met Svetlana in Tokyo around 1979–1980. Kovács's father confirmed that a Hungarian intelligence officer at the embassy had warned him that Svetlana was a KGB courier. She traveled around Europe and Asia on “missions.” Kovács became a member of the European Parliament, traveled to Moscow every month, organized trips for Jobbik party leaders to Russia, and observed the 2014 “referendum” in Crimea. I am sure that he has had a significant influence on the current situation between Hungary and Ukraine. Viktor Shenderovich (satirist), Mikhail Fishman (editor of Newsweek), Ilya Yashin, Roman Dobrokhotov, and other opposition figures. Gerasimova systematically seduced Kremlin critics by inviting them to her apartment, which was equipped with hidden cameras. She offered threesomes, cocaine, and marijuana. Shenderovich's video was released two days before his daughter's wedding. It is claimed that Yashin and Dobrokhotov recognized the trap and fled, but judging by Yashin's statements, I would not be so sure. NRA leadership, Republican politicians, Trump's entourage. Agent: Maria Butina (born 1988), founder of the Right to Bear Arms organization. Butina systematically infiltrated the NRA and conservative circles, attending conventions as a “guest of honor.” In July 2015, she personally asked Trump about sanctions against Russia. She lived with Republican operative Paul Erickson, who was twice her age, which, according to prosecutors, was “a necessary aspect of her activities.” Prosecutors initially claimed that she offered sex in exchange for a position (this claim was later softened). She was sentenced in April 2019 to 18 months for conspiracy and acting as an unregistered foreign agent. She was deported to Russia in October 2019. David Franklin Slater (63–64), a retired US Army lieutenant colonel, worked for the US Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM). In August 2021, he was approached by an FSB agent posing as a Ukrainian woman. Slater had TOP SECRET clearance and attended classified briefings on Russia's war against Ukraine. Through a dating site messenger, he passed on secret information about military targets and Russian capabilities until April 2022. He pleaded guilty in July 2025 to conspiracy to disclose national defense information. He faces up to 10 years in prison. A huge number of honey traps remain undiscovered and are still in operation. It is important to note that this is only one of the methods used by the FSB — there is also blackmail, bribery, murder, etc. This is not a dead end, it is a danger that must be recognized and methodically fought.