Vladimir Putin pays a vibrant homage to the much-maligned GRU

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Vladimir Putin in front of an audience of GRU officers on the occasion of his 100th birthday, November 2, 2018, in Moscow. Sputnik / Alexei Druzhinin / Kremlin via REUTERS

Vladimir Putin celebrated on Friday the "virtues" and the "courage" of the GRU, the intelligence services of the Russian army accused of being involved in the Skripal case in the United Kingdom and in cyber-attacks in the United States .

With our correspondent in Moscow, Daniel Vallot

It is before an audience of officers and members of the GRU that Vladimir Putin speaks. The ceremony takes place on the stage of the Russian Army Theater in Moscow on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the GRU.

The Russian military intelligence services, once very discreet, have been on the Western front for several months. But there is no question of letting go of them, as evidenced by the Russian President's heartfelt tribute: " Dear comrades, I know without exaggerating your unique abilities, including in the field of special operations. I am convinced of your professionalism and your personal courage. and I know that each of you will do everything for Russia and for our people. "

Created in 1918 by the Bolsheviks, the GRU was renowned for the audacity and discretion of its agents. A reputation that has been undermined in recent months by clumsiness and blunders in a number of cases, from the poisoning of the Skripals to the OPCW's espionage attempt in the Netherlands.

This strong tribute from the Russian president was therefore probably a way for Vladimir Putin to renew his support for intelligence services somewhat abused and to ignore the accusations made against them by Western countries.