If this was the weekend you'd chosen to explore the Barents east of Rybachy Peninsula, your plans were most likely ruined. From 1 August through the evening hours of 6 August, a navigational warning was announced for the area highlighted above, where live torpedo fire is expected to take place. Those familiar with the areaContinue reading "Russian Navy Live Torpedo Fire Advisory for the Barents Sea"
Kremlin Suggests North Korea Slow its Roll in 1949, the Eve of the Korean War
Translating History has recently received a small bundle of declassified Russian-language materials related to Soviet diplomatic involvement in the Korean War, and will be publishing the translations thereof in the coming week. We hope they may be of interest to our readers. The materials can be divided into two groups. The first group includes officialContinue reading "Kremlin Suggests North Korea Slow its Roll in 1949, the Eve of the Korean War"
June 2025 Russian Ministry of Defense Report Reveals Drone-Defense Measures for Storage Depots
A report published by the Russian Federation Ministry of Defense in June 2025 provides a look at the latest modifications to its counter-drone measures employed as a response to Ukraine’s propensity to expand combat drone operations deep into Russian territory. The report, unclassified but not intended for broadest distribution, covered a number of different (mostlyContinue reading "June 2025 Russian Ministry of Defense Report Reveals Drone-Defense Measures for Storage Depots"
November 1944: SMERSH Interrogates Treblinka Death Camp Executioner, a Soviet Red Army Deserter
During the military operations on the frontlines during the Great Patriotic War, the counterintelligence agencies "SMERSH" of the various fronts, armies, corps and divisions, along with carrying out the tasks assigned to them to combat enemy intelligence agents, simultaneously conducted investigations of Hitler's atrocities, and carried out an active search for Nazi war criminals andContinue reading "November 1944: SMERSH Interrogates Treblinka Death Camp Executioner, a Soviet Red Army Deserter"
New Russian Helo Training Vessel Begins Factory Sea Trials
The Russian Project 14400 training vessel Nikolay Kamov begins factory sea trials today, 17 July 2025. The vessel was developed to train Russian Navy carrier-based helicopter crews. Equipment on board can imitate various sea conditions. She boasts a 900 ton displacement, is 70 m long, and 12 m wide. She can reach speeds of upContinue reading "New Russian Helo Training Vessel Begins Factory Sea Trials"
Russian FSB Declassifies and Publishes Materials from Potsdam Conference Preparations
To mark the 80th anniversary of the 16 July 1945 kick-off of the Potsdam Conference between the leaders of the Soviet Union, United States, and Great Britain, the Russian Federation Federal Security Service (FSB) has published a handful of materials, freshly declassified for the occasion. The following was translated from information cobbled together from aContinue reading "Russian FSB Declassifies and Publishes Materials from Potsdam Conference Preparations"
30 May 1945: Soviet Intel Report on Life in the American and British Zones of Occupation
Until we can get our hands on more material, this ends our collection of post-war Berlin reporting from a well-placed Soviet intelligence officer. In this, his final report (which was written almost concurrently with our previous post), he and his unnamed (redacted) colleagues wandered across the German countryside to see how life for the GermansContinue reading "30 May 1945: Soviet Intel Report on Life in the American and British Zones of Occupation"
30 May 1945: Hitler’s Will, Himmler’s Pill, and Dönitz (Still)
Another Top Secret coded telegram from Berlin to Moscow, this time with the Soviet agent providing information about sweeping into Nazi command and control headquarters to search for, examine, and abscond with the "most "most interesting" documents for Stalin's eyes. We learn some information about Hitler's last will, including the appointment of Dönitz as hisContinue reading "30 May 1945: Hitler’s Will, Himmler’s Pill, and Dönitz (Still)"
28 May 1945: Dönitz Government Apprehended, Himmler Commits Suicide
Another Top Secret cable from Berlin to Moscow to keep Stalin apprised of the rather dynamic environment post-war Germany is undergoing. In this short (and partially-redacted) declassified account from a Soviet agent in Berlin, some details are provided of the large-scale British operation to apprehend the Dönitz government, carried out on 23 May. The authorContinue reading "28 May 1945: Dönitz Government Apprehended, Himmler Commits Suicide"
16 May 1945: Positive ID of of Hitler and Goebbels Corpses Amidst Early Days of Berlin Post-War Recovery
Yet another in the series of Top Secret reports submitted from Berlin by an unidentified deep-cover "illegal," one of many keeping Moscow informed of how things are working out in Germany in the early days after the war. In this excerpt, the author indicates that Berlin appears to be somewhat on the rebound, following theContinue reading "16 May 1945: Positive ID of of Hitler and Goebbels Corpses Amidst Early Days of Berlin Post-War Recovery"
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