A former spy explains how the DGSE supports Macron for Ukraine

• For fifteen years, Olivier Mas was an agent within the DGSE, one of the French intelligence services.

• The former spy master has since become a YouTuber.

  He recently dedicated a video to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

• Olivier Mas explains to "20 Minutes" how the service supplies the President of the Republic with information, but also how its agents operate in the field and collaborate with its foreign partners.

Olivier Mas worked for fifteen years at the DGSE (General Directorate for External Security).

While the war has been raging in Ukraine for thirteen days, this former colonel turned youtuber recently devoted a video on his channel to the Russian invasion and the role that "service" can play in the conflict.

A specialist in intelligence matters, he agreed to answer questions from

to explain how the DGSE can obtain information intended to help Emmanuel Macron make the right decisions, in order to counter Vladimir Putin's plans and push him to put an end to the conflict.

What type of information can the DGSE bring to political power during a period of crisis like this?

A service like the DGSE works mainly for the president, but also for the ministries of Foreign Affairs, Defense, or Matignon.

The President of the Republic, very involved in the resolution of the conflict, is eager for information and intelligence from these services.

I think there are probably daily meetings with his director general of intelligence.

When Emmanuel Macron speaks to Vladimir Poutine, who is a chess player and who manipulates information, it is very important for him to have reliable information so as not to be fooled.

How does the DGSE operate to obtain information?

How is the work divided with the DRM (the military intelligence directorate)?

The DRM will be interested in the tactical situation: how is the fighting going, what are the forces present, what are the capacities of the Ukrainian army to resist or not, what are the troops involved, what is the level of the units committed... We're not going to ask him what's going on in Putin's inner circle, what is the decision-making process, who are the men who matter... That's really the job of the DGSE, but also of the ministry of Foreign Affairs through the French Embassy in Moscow.

Access to this content has been blocked to respect your choice of consent

By clicking on "

", you accept the deposit of cookies by external services and will thus have access to third-party content

I ACCEPT

You can also modify your choices at any time via "choice of consent".

More information on the Cookie Management Policy page.

But the service has tools that diplomats do not have: it can pay sources or carry out interceptions, for example of text messages from Russian soldiers who are depressed, who are deserting... The DGSE is able to know if it is hoax from the Ukrainians.

The latter could try to obtain a greater involvement of Europe by trying to prove that the morale of the Russians is at half mast.

The DGSE is working on the credibility of intelligence.

Does the role of the DGSE also consist in providing the political authorities with an analysis of the situation, both concerning the threat posed by Russia and the effectiveness of the sanctions?

This is also where they are expected.

Analyze the impact of the sanctions, propose targets, give the names of certain oligarchs to target… There will be meetings on this subject with other countries, and all will propose targets.

The work of an intelligence service is therefore key.

Does the DGSE continue to work with other services?

Obviously, more than ever, we will continue to work with our partners.

When it comes to counter-terrorism, you work easily with others.

There, it is about a conflict where the interests are also confused.

All major Western countries will cooperate easily.

The first partner of the DGSE is the American services, which are very involved in the conflict.

So we are going to collaborate a lot with them, which will allow us to make progress on Russia, because it is not easy to work on this country.

This crisis, from a strictly technical intelligence point of view, will allow the DGSE to make a qualitative leap forward on the Russians.

Then everyone will want to work with Ukrainian services.

You have to be smart enough to convince them that the best way to get results is to work with the French.

Emmanuel Macron is very involved in the resolution of the conflict, while the United States may seem a bit far away.

I will be surprised and disappointed if France and the DGSE do not take advantage of this to collaborate with the Ukrainian services.

Why is it complicated for an intelligence service to work in Russia?

It is one of the most closed and dangerous countries for a foreign spy along with Iran, Pakistan and North Korea.

This does not mean that nothing can be done about it.

However, it's not like the

.

In the series, what the DGSE is doing in Moscow is not possible!

They would be detected right away, it's not realistic.

The Russian services have a lot of resources, and everyone talks to everyone, brings up the news, balances to be seen well.

In your experience, is a line always open with the FSB, the Russian intelligence service?

The DGSE was one of the services that most spoke to Russians, it had made this bet.

But I think now we have to show our bad mood and that's part of the posturing.

And then, is it really useful to continue talking to each other?

The decision maker is Putin.

And Macron speaks with him.

Is an intervention by the DGSE in Ukraine possible?

This is not necessarily useful, unless we are afraid of being led astray by the Ukrainians and we consider it necessary to have our own eyes on the spot.

We could then send clandestine agents under caption.

On the other hand, sending the action service of the DGSE to carry out operations would be very risky, as it could lead to an escalation.

* " 

Society

Information: “Building a good legend takes a year!

A former DGSE spy recounts the life of secret agents

Series

Why is Russia the new playground for agents of the “Bureau of Legends”?

• Secret Service

• Russia

• dgse

• War in Ukraine

• World

• Intelligence

• 0 comment

• 0 share

  • Share on Messenger

  • Share on Facebook

  • Share on Twitter

  • Share on Flipboard

  • Share on Pinterest

  • Share on Linkedin

  • Send by Mail

• To safeguard

• A fault ?

• To print