In the early 1920s, the Soviet Union faced a massive threat from exiled opponents of communism. The Bolshevik secret police, known as the Cheka, decided that standard surveillance was not enough. They launched a bold plan called Operation Trust to neutralize their enemies through deception. Instead of waiting for a real rebellion, they created a fake one. This operation became the blueprint for what we now call controlled opposition.
The Cheka established a front organization called the Monarchist Union of Central Russia. They convinced foreign intelligence agencies and exiled Russian generals that this group was a powerful underground movement. For six years, the Soviets successfully lured famous spies and activists back into Russia. One of the most famous victims was Sidney Reilly, who was a British intelligence legend. He entered Russia thinking he was meeting fellow revolutionaries, but was captured and killed instead. This fake group even sent representatives to Europe to collect funds and gather information from unsuspecting allies.
full article: https://thoughtframe.org/article/VxDw9ALZE7FPrpSDbT6H
by thoughtframeorg