From patriotism to treason, a classic case revisited (II)

After being confronted with the woman’s signed statement alleging rape and the compromising video, Metsavas didn’t have the composure to minimize his self-inflicted damage. Rapid developments simply overtook any rational decision making.

The GRU offered to solve any problems, and to cope with his panic level he willingly signed anything presented to him. The contents at the time were a blur. He couldn’t even remember them.

The GRU were masters of the situation. They didn’t press him for information about the Estonian military. He was released, not forced to remain in Smolensk, in fact not told of any further contacts. The behaviour of his recruiters helped him regain his self-confidence. He was convinced he could extricate himself from the mess.

He knew he couldn’t contact the Estonian embassy – his entanglement with the ‘police’/ GRU would surely jeopardize his military career. He knew about the ill-reputed Russian legal system and its ill treatment for anyone detained. He wanted to leave as soon as possible.

The GRU kept track of his whereabouts. In Tallinn as he was leaving his mother’s house, fully one year later in 2008, a man accosted him in Russian, reminded him of the occurrences in Smolensk and his promise of cooperation. However this was not the start of his assignments.

Metsavas’ GRU handlers contacted him for the first time when he visited St. Petersburg in December of 2008, when he was met by ‘Anton’ and escorted to a safe house. The questions were innocent – about his life, his career and simple facts about Estonia’s military, info available on the internet. And now he was the victim of is own army discipline – obedience.

But the GRU tightened the knot that ensured his continued compliance – they offered and he accepted money to ‘cover his expenses’. They asked him about his mother’s flower business and his father’s health. Metsavas recognized the menacing undertones of these queries, even though they seemed innocuous enough on the surface. Still, in spite of this Metsavas did not see himself as someone intimidated to become a traitor. The next meeting wasn’t scheduled until the following December.

Anton (obviously a false name) revealed nothing of himself, his background, employer or the purposes for which Metsavas’ assistance was necessary. But from Anton’s questions and use of military buzzwords, it seemed that he had a military background. In fact it was only after Metsavas’ arrest that Estonia’s KAPO told him of Anton’s real identity and GRU connection.

Anton’s constant focus on Georgia and Ukraine was a clear indication that the GRU was thoroughly familiar with Metsavas’ potential and value as a recruit. As an artillery liaison officer, he had officially been to both countries on assignment.

What started as low level, general questioning by Anton developed into more detailed, sophisticated probes. This coincided with Metsavas’ upward progress in his career. For its size, Estonia has significant feistiness in artillery capability but no notable prowess in aerial or marine warfare. It was the former that whetted Anton’s curiosity, especially in relation to Estonia’s allies, the US and Britain – their artillery specifications, its regional deployment, what was immediately available, etc. This was Metsavas’ specialty and the GRU knew it.

Anton’s questions from the very start instilled a lingering fear in Metsavas that the GRU had made impeccable searches into his private life and family. When it was necessary for the GRU to co-opt Metsavas’ father, Pjotr Volin, into the spying process, the Russian agency had already thoroughly investigated the latter’s background, which reassured them of Volin’s willingness to assist.

He was forced to continue to satisfy Anton’s needs. As opposed to high-tech espionage, the handler of spies must be a master manipulator of the recruit’s psyche – a confidante full of emotional and moral support. But the recruit still feels a diminishing self esteem and an inevitable ruined future.

(To be continued)

LAAS LEIVAT