Top Putin aides served in military intelligence

MOSCOW, Nov 14: Two top aides to President Vladimir Putin with a reputation for free market values have served in an elite Russian military intelligence group, Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov was quoted as saying today.

Ivanov's comments underlined still further the influence of Russia's spy services in Putin's government. The Russian president was himself a KGB agent in East Germany during the Cold War.

Deputy chief of presidential staff Vladislav Surkov and Putin's top troubleshooter for Russia's Caucasus region Dmitry Kozak both served in the GRU, as the country's military intelligence is known, Ivanov said.

''I know two rather famous people in the country who during their military service went through the special service of GRU,'' Ivanov was quoted as saying by Russia's Rossiya TV channel.

''It is Dmitry Kozak and Vladislav Surkov,'' he added.

The GRU is a highly secretive spying organisation and reports directly to the military General Staff. Russia's spies hail from either the GRU or its rival, the former KGB foreign arm now known as the SVR.

Reuters