Cold War Double Agent Oleg Gordievsky Dies Peacefully at 86

The former KGB colonel, who defected to Britain in 1985 and provided critical intelligence to MI6, passed away at his home in Surrey.

Oleg Gordievsky, a former KGB colonel and one of the Cold War's most significant double agents, has died at the age of 86 in Surrey, with his death confirmed as peaceful and not suspicious.
Gordievsky was recruited by MI6 in the 1970s under the codename 'Sunbeam' and provided vital intelligence, including warnings about Soviet nuclear paranoia during the Thatcher-Reagan era.
In 1985, after being exposed by CIA officer Aldrich Ames, he was smuggled out of Moscow in a covert MI6 operation, marking one of the most dramatic Cold War defections.
His intelligence led to the expulsion of 25 Soviet diplomats from the UK and helped avert a potential nuclear escalation during NATO's Able Archer military exercises.
Living under police protection in Surrey after his defection, Gordievsky was honored by Queen Elizabeth II in 2007 and authored several books detailing his espionage experiences.