Valeri Zentsov
Encyclopedia
Valeri Zentsov is a Russian spy
SPY
SPY is a three-letter acronym that may refer to:* SPY , ticker symbol for Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipts* SPY , a satirical monthly, trademarked all-caps* SPY , airport code for San Pédro, Côte d'Ivoire...

 best known for recruiting Herman Simm
Herman Simm
Herman Simm is a former chief of the Estonian Defence Ministry's security department and convicted Russian spy....

 in 1995.

Zentsov graduated from the 30th high school of Tallinn. After joining KGB
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...

 in 1969, he was assigned to study spycraft in Moscow in 1973–1975, specialising in scientific and technological espionage. Subsequently, Zentsov was based in Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...

 where he made relatively fast career, becoming the vice head of intelligence of the KGB branch in Estonia by 1988. Following restoration of Republic of Estonia, Zentsov was in 1992 classified as a Russian military retiree ranking as a polkovnik
Polkovnik
Polkovnik is often a military rank in Slavic countries which corresponds to a colonel in English-speaking states. However, in the Ukraine, polkovnyk was an administrative rank similar to a governor...

, and as of 1998, Russia paid him a military pension of 1291.54 roubles per month. However, according to Kaitsepolitsei, instead of retiring Zentsov continued clandestine
Clandestine operation
A clandestine operation is an intelligence or military operation carried out in such a way that the operation goes unnoticed.The United States Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms defines "clandestine operation" as "An operation sponsored or conducted by governmental...

 work for the Sluzhba Vneshney Razvedki, the foreign intelligence successor of KGB
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...

.

In 1999, Estonia denied Zentsov extension of residence permit based on his employment as commissioned officer of foreign (i. e. Soviet) military. After expiration of his last residence permit, he illegally resided in Estonia for 57 days, leading to his forced removal from the country by immigration authorities.
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