A former chef of a Russian restaurant chain who was arrested in 2020 in a high-speed chase is a suspected spy, according to a five-year investigation by US investigative TV program 60 Minutes, German magazine Der Spiegel, and The Insider.
At the time of Vitalii Kovalev’s arrest, “police discovered bank account notes, a device used to erase a car’s computer data, and a Russian passport,” The Washington magazine wrote on April 1.
A Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent who was investigating Kovalev had suffered mysterious brain injuries during her probe of Kovalev.
Kovalev had been the executive chef of Mari Vanna in Washington before being arrested in 2020. Bulgarian investigative journalist Christo Grozev discovered that Kovalev had studied radio electronics at a military institute in Russia before he became a chef in the US.
“He had all the technology know-how that would be required for somebody to be assisting an operation that requires high technology,” Grozev told 60 Minutes.
The alleged spy became a chef of the DC location of the restaurant in 2013 when it opened its doors. It also has a venue in Moscow and one that still operates in Manhattan, New York, the Kyiv Post learned. Its locations in Miami and Los Angeles are permanently closed.
Kovalev spent 30 months in jail for evading police in a high-speed car chase in Florida and then returned to Russia in 2022 upon his release, Grozev said, adding that documents have come to light that Kovalev had been sent to fight in Ukraine after his return, where he died in February 2023.
Russia Leadership Shakeup
The so-called Havana Syndrome investigation, of which the journalist was a part, concluded that an elite assassination unit of Russia’s defense intelligence was behind the neurological attacks, some of which caused severe brain damage to US government officials.
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Comments (2)
For 2 decades Putin has made hybrid warfare a matter of national policy. He is way ahead of allies in this regard. His hybrid war against democracies includes offensive cyber operations such as malware theft, key IOT enabled infrastructure shutdown, stoking allied citizenry's public dissent, using allied media to promote aligned MRGA leadership candidates like putinrump.
However it also includes non-attributable physical attacks. This articles sick revelation another example. Over 1000 USA diplomats or key staff serving Americans have now been medically damaged by putin's new acoustic weapon ("Havana Syndrome").
As a result of putin's meddling, the USA's future now balances on the edge of again supporting a wannabe dictator with a long history of sowing hate and violating American laws. This conman knows exactly how to prey on the weak minded by making promises he will ever keep.
His own past White House appointees have gone on record saying essentially putinrump is either an egotistical idiot or the greatest threat to democracy. As he foments insurrections based on his lies he contently watches the chaos he has sown.
Can the USA return to greatness as a divided nation. No!
Can the USA become united again? Yes. But only if putinrump and the rest of the MRGA cult are thwarted in the next election.
Please think heavily on this as you next vote Americans.
Hoog tijd dat er eindelijk een einde komt aan de Russische Maffia smeerlapperij.
@D.G, oa wadde Joa joa, utleggn en vintjes tjekenen Je zie va lotje getikt