Spies often feel like characters pulled from the pages of novels or the screens of thrilling films.
They operate in shadows, equipped with advanced gadgets and cloaked in mystery.
Yet, the reality of espionage is often stranger and more invasive than fiction, especially when technology is leveraged by modern intelligence agencies.
Such stories remind us that surveillance is not just a concept — it is a very real and often unsettling part of today’s world.
Detained by the FSB
Kirill Parubets, a Russian programmer with Ukrainian heritage, found himself at the center of such a tale, according to Ziare.
His encounter with the Federal Security Service (FSB) of Russia shows how modern spy tools can turn personal devices into weapons of surveillance.
In April 2023, Parubets was detained in Russia under accusations of treason for transferring money to Ukraine. Over 15 days, he endured beatings and relentless pressure to collaborate with the FSB as an informant.
Facing threats of life imprisonment, he reluctantly agreed but managed to escape with his wife, Lyubov, before the arrangement could proceed.
Living in Kyiv since 2020, Parubets worked as a systems analyst. However, the Russian invasion of Ukraine forced him into a precarious position.
Unable to renew his Ukrainian residency, he and his wife sought Moldovan and Romanian citizenship. Returning to Russia for documents, they encountered a grim twist — an armed raid on their home.
Authorities seized the family’s devices, and upon their return, Parubets noticed strange activity on his phone.
Notifications and an unrecognized app raised alarms.
Analysis confirmed his phone was infected with Monokle spyware, a tool attributed to the FSB.
This spyware allowed agents to track his location, monitor calls, view screen activity, and access messages.
Citizen Lab, a research organization, analyzed Parubets’s case, warning about the global risks posed by such tools.
Spyware can turn everyday devices into powerful instruments of control and observation.
