Changes

'''Vasili Mitrokhin''' (March 3, 1922–January 23, 2004) is a former KGB officer who defected from [[Russia]].  He was exfiltrated from Russia in 1992 by the British Secret Intelligence Service (SIS).  Mitrokhin was accompanied by his family and 6 cases representing twelve years of daily note taking of KGB files going back as far as 1918.

'''Vasili Mitrokhin''' (March 3, 1922–January 23, 2004) is a former KGB officer who defected from [[Russia]].  He was exfiltrated from Russia in 1992 by the British Secret Intelligence Service (SIS).  Mitrokhin was accompanied by his family and 6 cases representing twelve years of daily note taking of KGB files going back as far as 1918.

== Biography ==

== Biography ==

Vasili Mitrokhin was born in central Russia in 1922.  He began his career as an intelligence officer in 1948 working for the Committee of Information--the temporarily combined MGB (future KGB) and GRU (Soviet military intelligence).<ref>{{hnb|Andrew & Mitronkhin|1999|Ref=CITEREFAndrewMitrokhin1999|p=1}}</ref>  His first five years in intelligence were during the final paranoid years of Stalin's dictatorship, when intelligence agencies were enjoined to conduct investigations against usually imaginary Titoist and Zionist conspiracies. <ref>{{hnb|Andrew & Mitronkhin|1999|Ref=CITEREFAndrewMitrokhin1999|p=1-2}}</ref>

Vasili Mitrokhin was born in central Russia in 1922.  He began his career as an intelligence officer in 1948 working for the Committee of Information--the temporarily combined MGB (future KGB) and GRU (Soviet military intelligence).<ref>{{hnb|Andrew & Mitronkhin|1999|Ref=CITEREFAndrewMitrokhin1999|p=1}}</ref>  His first five years in intelligence were during the final paranoid years of Stalin's dictatorship, when intelligence agencies were enjoined to conduct investigations against usually imaginary [Tito]]ist and Zionist conspiracies. <ref>{{hnb|Andrew & Mitronkhin|1999|Ref=CITEREFAndrewMitrokhin1999|p=1-2}}</ref>

Mitrokhin tried twice to defect to the CIA, but was turned down each time because the CIA wanted to "maintain high moral ground" by not recruiting KGB defecterss.<ref>{{hnb|Trulock|2004}}</ref>  Subsequently, he turned to the SIS, who exfiltrated Mitrokhin from [[Latvia]], including his family, and 6 cases of notes on KGB files.<ref>{{hnb|Andrew & Mitronkhin|1999|Ref=CITEREFAndrewMitrokhin1999|p=1}}, {{hnb|Trulock|2004}}, {{hnb|AP|2004}}</ref>

Mitrokhin tried twice to defect to the CIA, but was turned down each time because the CIA wanted to "maintain high moral ground" by not recruiting KGB defecters.<ref>{{hnb|Trulock|2004}}</ref>  Subsequently, he turned to the SIS, who exfiltrated Mitrokhin from [[Latvia]], including his family, and 6 cases of notes on KGB files.<ref>{{hnb|Andrew & Mitronkhin|1999|Ref=CITEREFAndrewMitrokhin1999|p=1}}, {{hnb|Trulock|2004}}, {{hnb|AP|2004}}</ref>

Vasili Mitrokhin died of pneumonia on January 23, 2004, at the age of 81.<ref>{{hnb|Trulock|2004}}</ref>

Vasili Mitrokhin died of pneumonia on January 23, 2004, at the age of 81.<ref>{{hnb|Trulock|2004}}</ref>