Putin seeks young female spies as Russia ramps up recruitment drive in universities

Vladimir Putin is actively seeking young female spies as the desperate leader aims to recruit new agents.

Recruitment efforts are ongoing at Russian universities, searching for new agents similar to the infamous Anna Chapman.

At the prestigious Novosibirsk State University in Siberia, students were called to a mandatory meeting.

Spy officials informed them: “Even if you’ve tried cannabis three or four times, you still have a chance of joining us.”

The SVR – Russia’s foreign intelligence service – is seeking “people who know how to obtain up-to-date information according to the goals and tasks set, process it, analyze it properly, and report it”.

At ex-KGB agent Putin’s former St Petersburg State University, spy Tamara Netyksa told students: “We very much need intelligent, serious, good, well-prepared boys and girls.

“We very much need girls”, she emphasized.

Veteran Russian intelligence officer Elena Vavilova, 63, told students: “The highest level in intelligence work is when a source begins to tell you themselves about their work, to confide in you.”

Vavilova posed in Canada and the US as Tracey Ann Foley and was married to another illegal agent Andrey Bezrukov, known as Donald Howard Heathfield.

Their cover was blown in 2010 when Russian glamour spy Anna Chapman, then a British citizen after marriage to a Briton, was detained by the FBI.

The red-haired Chapman said she was recruited by Mad Vlad’s SVR after a London-based Russian agent was fascinated by her networking skills, particularly her influence over wealthy and influential men.

She integrated herself into the British business and political elite using what she called “the necessary attributes”.

Chapman admitted: “I knew the effect I had on men.

“Nature had generously endowed me with the necessary attributes: a slim waist, a full chest, and a cascade of red hair.

“All I needed was to emphasize it – which I did with simple yet sexy outfits, light makeup, and an effortless air about me. I never wore jewelry – I didn’t feel the need for it.”

Chapman had become a British citizen after marrying Brit Alex Chapman, now deceased.

She wrote a book about her time in London, which included trips to Paris and Geneva with mega-wealthy lovers and admirers – and a strip-poker session with a group of multi-millionaires.

Chapman bragged: “Most importantly, I didn’t try too hard to please.

“People can always sense when someone is desperate for approval, and it has the opposite effect.

“That’s what happens with overly dressed-up girls or overly chatty men. I never sought anyone’s approval – I simply was myself.

“And it worked like magic.”

This comes after The Sun revealed that a former KGB spy who was trained to seduce high-profile targets is now warning how female agents use the same playbook to steal secrets from the West.

Aliia Roza, 41, was taught the art of seduction, influence and manipulation by authorities to target drug gangs and people traffickers on their behalf.

The daughter of a high-ranking officer and the granddaughter of a Second World War “national hero”, was just 18 years old when she was sent to a KGB military academy for the sons and daughters of top officials.

She underwent the same program Putin graduated from in 1975.

Taught charm, psychology, and emotional connection, Aliia learned to extract information from her targets, who were often powerful men.

“When we were enrolled, we were told not to share these techniques with anyone – not even our colleagues or friends,” she said.

“Lots of it is about psychological techniques, the psychology of men – for example, what are their weaknesses? What are their needs? What are they scared of? What do they desire?

“When you learn the psychology of different personalities, you understand how to manipulate, how to make them do what you want.”

After graduating, she joined the FSB – the KGB’s modern successor that Putin was formerly in charge of – where she was tasked with infiltrating drug and human trafficking gangs.

Aliia revealed agents followed the same playbook to break down their target’s defenses – without them suspecting a thing.

The spy-turned-influencer insisted these very tactics were being used by Russian and Chinese spies to prey on targets in Western countries – including the UK and US.

Just last year, two Bulgarian women were linked to a Russian spy ring in the UK, where they allegedly worked in the elaborate and life-threatening “honey-trap” surveillance operation, according to the BBC.

The spy ring, who conducted espionage operations for Vladimir Putin’s regime in Britain while becoming romantically involved with each other, were caught in March 2025.

Cvetelina Gencheva and Tsvetanka Doncheva were both accused of being linked to the London cell, which saw two other women jailed.

Glamorous lab assistant Katrin Ivanova, 33, and beautician Vanya Gaberova, 30, were convicted at the Old Bailey of espionage offenses under the Official Secrets Act.

Gaberova’s painter and decorator ex-boyfriend Tihomir Ivanchev, 39, of Enfield, North London, was also convicted of spying charges.

In court, two other mystery women who took part in surveillance operations across Europe were mentioned – believed to be Gencheva and Doncheva.

The women were all linked back to Russian spymaster Orlin Roussev after he commissioned Ivanova and Gaberova to steal reporter Christo Grozev’s laptop, after he worked to unmask the Salisbury Novichok poisoners.

The duo traveled to a conference in Spain, accompanied by Bizer Dzhambazov, 43, who was living with Ivanova but having an affair with Gaberova.

On September 12, 2021, Roussev reported to Marsalek on the encrypted Telegram app that the operation to follow Grozev from Vienna to Valencia “with the couple and the ground team” had “worked flawlessly“.

Joking about the Novichok poisoning of Navalny, he added: “Feels like we must poison him next just to live up to past stories. Ideally using his underwear or his cap.”

Roussev later added: “I have twins on the surveillance team.

“One of the killer sexy brunettes will enter the conference.”

Roussev and Dzhambazov later admitted conspiracy to collect information useful to an enemy.