2. Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU)
Country: Russia
GRU’s full name is Main Intelligence Agency of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. It is the largest intelligence agency in Russia in terms of employees. In 1997, besides regular agents, it also controlled some 25,000 infamous Spetznaz troops. The agency is under United States’ government sanctions for alleged tampering in 2016 US presidential election. Some of the highest GRU’s officials have been barred from entering the USA, including GRU Chief, Deputy Chief, and two First Deputy Chiefs. But despite the recent crackdown on its activities on American soil, GRU allegedly still owns and operates significant assets in the US. GRU is heavily involved in ongoing Syrian Civil War.
