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The anonymous letter drafted on a Russian typewriter was mailed in Washington in August 1943.  The original text in Russian was addressed to "Mr. Guver."  It identifies Soviet "intelligence officers and operations that stretched from Canada to Mexico."  This extraordinary note denounced Zarubin and 10 other [[KGB]] officers in North America, along with two of their assets.  FBI Special Agents quickly concluded that the letter was genuine and largely accurate, although they gave little credence to its claim of passing secrets to Japan.  

The anonymous letter drafted on a Russian typewriter was mailed in Washington in August 1943.  The original text in Russian was addressed to "Mr. Guver."  It identifies Soviet "intelligence officers and operations that stretched from Canada to Mexico."  This extraordinary note denounced Zarubin and 10 other [[KGB]] officers in North America, along with two of their assets.  FBI Special Agents quickly concluded that the letter was genuine and largely accurate, although they gave little credence to its claim of passing secrets to Japan.  

The FBI subsequently increased surveillance of persons named in the letter. It also includes accusations of war crimes against the KGB Rezident in Washington, Vassili M. Zarubin (a.k.a. Zubilin), and his deputy, Markov (in the United States under the alias of Lt. Col. Vassili D. Mironov).<ref>Robert Louis Benson, and Michael Warner, eds. [https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/books-and-monographs/venona-soviet-espionage-and-the-american-response-1939-1957/preface.htm VENONA: Soviet Espionage and the American Response, 1939-1957,] pg. 9. Washington, DC: National Security Agency/Central Intelligence Agency, 1996. Laguna Hills, CA: Aegean Park Press, 1996.</ref>  

The FBI subsequently increased surveillance of persons named in the letter. It also includes accusations of war crimes against the KGB Rezident in Washington, Vassili M. Zarubin (a.k.a. Zubilin), and his deputy, Markov (in the United States under the alias of Lt. Col. Vassili D. Mironov).<ref>[[Robert Louis Benson]], and [[Michael Warner]], eds. [https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/books-and-monographs/venona-soviet-espionage-and-the-american-response-1939-1957/preface.htm VENONA: Soviet Espionage and the American Response, 1939-1957,] pg. 9. Washington, DC: National Security Agency/Central Intelligence Agency, 1996. Laguna Hills, CA: Aegean Park Press, 1996.</ref>  

The letter asserted that Zarubin and Mironov were directly implicated in  the bloody occupation of eastern Poland during the [[Nazi-Soviet alliance]] of 1939-41 and the murder of some 15,000 Polish soldiers—officers and NCOs, regulars and reservists—captured by the Red Army. The letter provided accurate and early confirmation of Soviet complicity in the executions in the [[Katyn Massacre|Katyn Forest]] were German occupation forces in April 1943 discovered a mass grave containing 4,300 Polish corpses. Only someone "in the know" could have revealed that Polish soldiers had been interned at Kozelsk and Starobelsk and that Polish soldiers had been killed "near Smolensk." This information was known to only a handful of people in 1943 and was carefully concealed for almost 50 years by Soviet authorities.

The letter asserted that Zarubin and Mironov were directly implicated in  the bloody occupation of eastern Poland during the [[Nazi-Soviet alliance]] of 1939-41 and the murder of some 15,000 Polish soldiers—officers and NCOs, regulars and reservists—captured by the Red Army. The letter provided accurate and early confirmation of Soviet complicity in the executions in the [[Katyn Massacre|Katyn Forest]] were German occupation forces in April 1943 discovered a mass grave containing 4,300 Polish corpses. Only someone "in the know" could have revealed that Polish soldiers had been interned at Kozelsk and Starobelsk and that Polish soldiers had been killed "near Smolensk." This information was known to only a handful of people in 1943 and was carefully concealed for almost 50 years by Soviet authorities.

Mironov was recalled from Washington and arrested on charges of slander, but when he was put on trial, it was discovered that he was schizophrenic. He was hospitalized and discharged from the service.  

Mironov was recalled from Washington and arrested on charges of slander, but when he was put on trial, it was discovered that he was schizophrenic. He was hospitalized and discharged from the service.

==See also==

==See also==