Russia’s ambassador to the US has gone on state TV to reveal he turned down an American bid for him to defect.
Anatoly Antonov, 67, claimed that he was sent a letter urging him to “denounce my motherland” and condemn Vladimir Putin ’s actions over the war with Ukraine.
He went on Russia's Channel One to reassure Putin he had rejected the “provocative” advance which he claimed came from the US State Department.
Had he accepted the request, he would have had no option but to defect since his life would have been in peril returning to Moscow after denouncing Putin and his war.
“I recently received a letter by mail, with a call to denounce my motherland and condemn the Russian president’s actions,” he said on Bolshaya Igra (Big Game) show on Russia ’s Channel One.
“And I was recommended to make an enquiry to the office of US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman if I am ready to accept the proposal.”
The ambassador is one of Putin’s most senior and respected diplomats with a reputation for being something of a hardliner.
Previously he has served as deputy foreign minister to Sergei Lavrov and deputy defence minister.
“I don’t think that the US ambassador or US diplomats in Moscow receive any letters of this kind, which in my opinion are provocative.
“When I see US media publications calling upon Russian servicemen and diplomats to betray their homeland, I have no words to describe my rejection of such moves.”
He has also claimed that people - who he took to be FBI agents - were outside the Russian embassy in Washington DC handing out cards with phone numbers to diplomats and other staff.
The Russian staffers were invited to "communicate with FBI agents”, he said.
This comes as Russian forces continue to be bogged down in the east of Ukraine with their 50th colonel being killed.
The death was revealed of artillery commander Lt Col Vladimir Nigmatullin, a father of three, from Yekaterinburg.
He was killed on 31 May 2022 but his loss to Russian forces was only disclosed today.
Russia has lost almost one colonel every two days in the bloody conflict in Ukraine which was triggered by Vladimir Putin.
His family shared news of his death on social media, where they said Nigmatullin - who they called their "little man" - was a father-of-three and an "example to the motherland".
His death comes as Russia lost its 11th general of the conflict in recent days, Major-General Roman Kutuzov was the chief of staff of the 29th Combined Arms Army.
The civilian and military death toll of this brutal conflict continue to mount as the fighting drags on.
