He does not claim to be Russia’s brightest spy.
uncertain
He → claim → ?
Alexander had really wanted the job, though.
asserted
Alexander → want → job
He was born in Ukraine but believed in Russia.
asserted
He → bear → Russia
And it was hard getting by on his shifts at McDonald’s.
asserted
it → get → McDonald
So when two Russian operatives approached him with the offer of a piecework spying gig, he jumped.
asserted
he → approach → gig
He was in France at the time, he said.
asserted
he → say → time
The Russians wanted compromising material on a Western government official.
asserted
Russians → want → official
Some of what Alexander did was real field espionage, like seeing where the official lived.
asserted
official → see → what
Alexander didn’t have much need for disguises.
asserted
Alexander → have → disguises
“I had a pair of black sunglasses, but I rarely wore them.
asserted
I → wear → them
Only when the sun was shining,” he said wryly.
asserted
he → shin → ?
Alexander’s work changed when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
asserted
Russia → change → 2022
He joined a Facebook group for foreigners enlisting in the Ukrainian army.
asserted
He → join → army
He gained other members’ trust.
asserted
He → gain → trust
On trips to Ukraine, he reported to Russia the location of Ukrainian forces, their planned assault operations and their personal information.
asserted
he → report → forces
His actions, he said, led to soldiers’ deaths.
asserted
he → say → deaths
Then it all caught up with him.
asserted
it → catch → him
Driving through northern Ukraine, Alexander was stopped at a checkpoint.
asserted
Alexander → drive → checkpoint
A guard asked to see his phone.
asserted
guard → ask → phone
He had forgotten to delete a message to his Russian boss.
asserted
He → forget → boss
“I am not saying I am a good spy,” Alexander said.
asserted
Alexander → say → ?
“I got caught.”
asserted
I → catch → ?
I met Alexander on a bright summer day in a meeting room of Prison Colony No. 122 in central Ukraine, where he will remain for the foreseeable future after pleading guilty in a Ukrainian court to the charges against him, including high treason.
asserted
he → meet → treason
It is impossible to corroborate everything he told me, though parts of his story could be confirmed through Ukrainian court documents and interviews with Ukrainian officials.
uncertain
parts → corroborate → officials
I had received a call from a shadowy contact saying that Alexander was open to talking.
asserted
Alexander → receive → contact
The Ukrainian government has arranged throughout the war for journalists to talk to Russian prisoners.
asserted
journalists → arrange → prisoners
This, however, would be my first time knowingly meeting a Russian spy.
asserted
This → meet → spy
Alexander, 42, wore a worn-out gray baseball cap, sweatpants and a tracksuit jacket with white stripes along the sleeves.
asserted
Alexander → wear → sleeves
He looked straight into my eyes with a playful yet penetrating stare.
asserted
He → look → stare
He leaned back leisurely in his chair, oozing self-confidence.
asserted
He → lean → confidence
Now and again, he smiled at a military officer who was in the room for security reasons.
asserted
who → smile → reasons
I wanted to make sure that Alexander knew what he was doing in deciding to sit down with me.
asserted
he → want → me
“Do you realise,” I asked, “that what you tell me will be published in an article and that it will not necessarily be a positive portrait of you?”
asserted
it → realise → you
The last part seemed to surprise him.
asserted
part → seem → him
“Why is that?” he answered.
asserted
he → answer → ?
As far as I could tell, he just wanted the world to know his story, though he said he did not want his last name published to protect his family.
uncertain
name → tell → family
He kept asking me if I was really from The New York Times.
asserted
I → keep → Times
Maybe Russia would remember him, he said, and ask that he be included in a prisoner exchange.
asserted
he → remember → exchange
Alexander, who moved to Israel as a young child, is both Ukrainian and Israeli.
asserted
who → move → child
He is the only such spy imprisoned in Ukraine, Pikalov said.
asserted
Pikalov → imprison → Ukraine
…and 44 more, not listed.
The Aporia
