Tradecraft, Tactics, and Dirty Tricks: Russian Intelligence and Putin’s Secret War

On May 5, 2026, the Center for the National Interest hosted a discussion of Sean Wiswesser’s new book, Tradecraft, Tactics, and Dirty Tricks: Russian Intelligence and Putin’s Secret War.

Wiswesser, who retired after a nearly 30-year career in the CIA, has written a fascinating book that demystifies how the Russian intelligence services operate; their strengths as well as their weaknesses, and the threat they present to U.S. national interests. The narrative comes to life with many personal stories and anecdotes of Wiswesser’s long career engaging Russian intelligence officers.

Andrew Kuchins, a senior fellow at the Center, moderated the discussion.