Accused Spy in Norway Admits Russian Identity

Mikhail Mikushin, previously posing as Brazilian academic José Assis Giammaria, faces charges of gathering state secrets.

Mikhail Mikushin, who was arrested in Norway last year on suspicion of spying for Russia, has admitted to being Russian after years of posing as a Brazilian academic.
Mikushin has been accused of gathering intelligence linked to state secrets and faces charges in Norway.
Mikushin, under the alias José Assis Giammaria, worked as a guest researcher at the University of Tromso in Norway’s Arctic Circle and previously studied in Canada.
The Russian embassy in Oslo denies that Mikushin is a Russian citizen, but has been in contact with him since he confirmed his Russian identity.
Investigative journalist Christo Grozev claims Mikushin is tied to GRU, Russia’s military intelligence agency, and is likely “no less than a colonel.”