Admire the "deadly seductive" Russian female spy.
With her captivating beauty and highly regarded intelligence capabilities, Anna Chapman, a once-famous Russian spy, was nicknamed "the 90-60-90 poison."
The US exchanged 10 spies for 4 of its own spies captured by Russia. Photo: AP
The shocking spy exchange
In late June 2010, the world media was shaken by the news that US officials had uncovered a network of 10 Russian spies, including the beautiful female spy Anna Chapman.
However, just over a week later, on July 8, 2010, these 10 Russian spies were released as part of an exchange deal with four American spies being held captive in Russia. This was considered the largest spy exchange between Russia and the United States since the Cold War.
The US believes this spy ring may have been formed in the late 1990s, and its members are fluent in spoken and written English. Tracking the ring for years, US intelligence discovered that the group often hid letters under bridges, secretly exchanged information and money by burying them in holes in the forest, and, notably, used specially configured laptops to transmit information to each other.
This group's task was to build relationships with figures in American policymaking circles in order to "feed information" to the Russian government.
The informant who exposed the Russian spies was Alexander Poteyev, a top Russian foreign intelligence official. Alexander Poteyev's reasons for betraying the country were simply money and alcoholism.
This man was convicted in absentia and sentenced to 25 years in prison for treason and desertion. Poteyev is considered one of the worst traitors in modern Russian history.
The "deadly beautiful" female spy
Anna Chapman not only possessed a captivating appearance but was also highly regarded for her espionage skills. Photo: Getty
One of the 10 Russian spies uncovered by US authorities was the beautiful redhead spy Anna Chapman.
Anna Chapman was born in 1982 in Volgograd, Russia, into a family believed to have a tradition of espionage. Her father, Vasily Kushchenko, a veteran diplomat, had also worked as a spy in various countries during his diplomatic missions. However, instead of studying diplomacy, Anna graduated with a degree in economics.
After her marriage ended in 2006 in England, Anna Chapman returned to Russia for a short time before moving to the United States to run a real estate company. During the day, she worked at the company, and in the evenings, she was often seen at the most famous restaurants and bars in New York. US officials believe this job may have been a cover for Anna's espionage activities.
Within the group, Anna stands out not only for her beautiful and alluring appearance but also for her highly regarded espionage abilities.
Frank Figliuzzi, assistant director of the FBI's counterintelligence division, described Anna as a "sweet trap" for her ability to approach high-ranking US officials with her beauty and intelligence.
Even after the spy ring was exposed, the media nicknamed her "90-60-90 poison" to describe the sharp wit of the female spy who was "beautiful down to the last detail."
According to US officials, in addition to her captivating beauty, Anna was also a highly trained spy with extensive knowledge of technology, fluent in foreign languages, and highly adaptable.
After her identity was revealed, Anna returned to Russia and continued to make waves in the media, frequently appearing in newspapers and engaging in various fields from modeling and hosting to investment consulting and philanthropy.
