Pakistan’s ISI Sets Up Secret Unit in Moscow, Raising Alarm in Russia

Moscow: Amid a rapidly shifting global order, India’s ally Russia faces a new and concerning development. Reports indicate that Pakistan’s notorious intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), has established a secret operational unit in Moscow, potentially targeting Russian military and intelligence systems.

According to intelligence assessments, the ISI unit, reportedly named “Matryoshka Desk,” was set up inside Pakistan’s diplomatic mission in Moscow. The unit’s objectives appear highly alarming, including infiltrating Russian intelligence networks and gathering information on Russian intelligence assets abroad.

Covert Operations Under Leadership

Sources suggest that the ISI unit was initiated in January 2026 under the directive of ****, Pakistan’s Army Chief, following consultations with officials linked to the *CIA* in Washington. The unit is reportedly managed by Brigadier Asif Khan and two other senior officers. Its operations focus on recruiting individuals from Russian military, intelligence, media, and elite circles. Some reports even indicate that President Vladimir Putin could be a potential target for intelligence collection.

Long-Term Preparation

The creation of this secret ISI unit is not sudden. Pakistan has been preparing for a long-term strategy, maintaining a network of operatives fluent in Russian who can seamlessly blend into local society for recruitment and radicalization operations.

Strategic Implications for Moscow

Blitz editor and security expert Salah Uddin Shoaib Chaudhry views the emergence of the ISI cell as a dangerous signal. He notes that the cell highlights Moscow’s evolving role in the global geopolitical chessboard, as Russia grapples with strained relations with the West, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, and shifting alliances across Eurasia. Foreign intelligence agencies may see this as an opportunity to gain strategic leverage in the region.

The presence of a covert ISI unit in Russia underscores the complex and increasingly contested dynamics within international intelligence and security operations, raising alarms for both Moscow and its global partners.