--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Long after the fall of the Soviet Union…" description: "\"Long after the fall of the Soviet Union, the Russian state and its security operatives still know who their long embedded human assets are, recruited b..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df9/gerard-batten-41146_corruption_long-after-the-fall-of-the-soviet-union_2288371.jpg" --- # Long after the fall of the Soviet Union, the Russian state… ![“Long after the fall of the Soviet Union, the Russian state and its security operatives still know who their long embedded human assets are, recruited by a mixture of bribery and blackmail. Some of those human assets are still in positions of influence.” quote by Gerard Batten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df9/gerard-batten-41146_corruption_long-after-the-fall-of-the-soviet-union_2288371.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df9/gerard-batten-41146_corruption_long-after-the-fall-of-the-soviet-union_2288371.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df9/gerard-batten-41146_corruption_long-after-the-fall-of-the-soviet-union_2288371.jpg) > “Long after the fall of the Soviet Union, the Russian state and its security operatives still know who their long embedded human assets are, recruited by a mixture of bribery and blackmail. Some of those human assets are still in positions of influence.” [Gerard Batten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-batten/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Even after the USSR collapsed, Russia’s security services retain deep‑cover agents placed through bribery or blackmail, many still holding influential roles. **In simple terms:** Russia still controls hidden spies in power. Key Takeaway Recognize hidden influence networks. Themes politics espionage power history corruption Mood cautious analytical Type historical political When to use this quote - government - corporate boardrooms - media - foreign policy - academic research Key Concepts statecraft coercion network theory Questions to Reflect On - How do hidden agents affect current policy? - What can expose such networks? A Different Perspective These assets may be compromised or unreliable over time. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Blackmail Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blackmail-human-5366803/) [Bribery Blackmail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bribery-blackmail-610585/) [Corruption](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corruption/) [Cybersecurity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cybersecurity/) [Influence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/influence/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Operatives Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/operatives-know-5366804/) [Russia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/russia/) [Russian State](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/russian-state-706569/) [Security](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/security/) [Security Operatives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/security-operatives-5366805/) [Soviet union](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soviet-union/) ## Related quotes > [I have tried my hand at bribery, blackmail, and deceit. 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They are primarily for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-gorbachev/gentlemen-comrades-do-not-be-concerned-about-all-you-hear-about/) [Mikhail Gorbachev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-gorbachev/) > [Russia can fall apart. It's not because of the oil prices ... It's because what sticks a country together is a common interest of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilya-ponomarev/russia-can-fall-apart-it-s-not-because-of-the-oil-prices-it-s-because/) [Ilya Ponomarev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilya-ponomarev/) > [“Kennedy, who had campaigned strongly on the “Missile Gap” issue, soon discovered as president that the Soviet Union didn’t have the 500 missiles feared—it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrett-m-graff/kennedy-who-had-campaigned-strongly-on-the-missile-gap-issue-soon/) [Garrett M. Graff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrett-m-graff/) > [The Soviet Union is like the Cross without Christ, while American culture is like Christ without the Cross.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-soviet-union-is-like-the-cross-without-christ-while-american/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“the President was deciding, for the U.S., the Soviet Union, Turkey, NATO, and really for all mankind….”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-f-kennedy/the-president-was-deciding-for-the-u-s-the-soviet-union-turkey-nato/) [Robert F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-f-kennedy/) > [The ultimate goal of the whole policy of peaceful co-existence was to make progress on the basic goal laid down by Lenin of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-nitze/the-ultimate-goal-of-the-whole-policy-of-peaceful-co-existence-was-to/) [Paul Nitze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-nitze/) > [ I think his \[Reagan's\] policy toward the Soviet Union was more risky than most people realize, and it was risky because of the paranoia… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-e-hoffman/i-think-his-reagan-s-policy-toward-the-soviet-union-was-more-risky/) [David E. Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-e-hoffman/) > [While we like to think queueing is unique to British culture, the truth is that we are mere amateurs. The old Soviet Union turned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hartley-brewer/while-we-like-to-think-queueing-is-unique-to-british-culture-the/) [Julia Hartley-Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hartley-brewer/) ## More by Gerard Batten > [We should care that a foreign power can murder anyone on British soil with impunity. 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