Who is Anna Chapman and where is she now?

Need to know

A glamorous ‘girl next door’ who was secretly a spy now has a brand new role

Who is Anna Chapman and where is she now?

1. A glamorous Russian spy who charmed her way into elite circles in New York and London before being exposed by the FBI is the subject of a new Channel 4 documentary tonight. According to its synopsis, it is compared to the plot of a Hollywood spy movie. It promises to tell the true story of a glamorous Russian spy who infiltrated UK society and America’s corridors of power As a result, many viewers wonder where she is now.
2. Anna Chapman was secretly working for Russia’s SVR intelligence service while partying with billionaires and celebrities in Manhattan’s VIP hotspots. Born to a KGB official in Russia, she married a British citizen in 2001 to gain dual citizenship.
3. Chapman moved to New York in 2009, setting up a property business as cover while infiltrating high society. She was spotted rubbing shoulders with Wall Street executives and even economist Nouriel Roubini – nicknamed ‘Dr. Doom’ after predicting the 2008 financial crisis.
4. Behind the glamorous facade, Chapman was part of the Illegals Programme, transmitting encrypted messages to Moscow from Barnes and Noble cafés. Her mission was to gather intelligence and build networks to influence US foreign policy.
5. The FBI tracked her for years under Operation Ghost Stories before sending in an undercover agent posing as a Russian handler. When Chapman grew suspicious and tested a fake passport at a police station on her father’s advice, agents swooped.
6. She was arrested in June 2010 and held for just 12 days before being exchanged for Western spies in Vienna – including Sergei Skripal, later targeted in the Salisbury Novichok attack. Vladimir Putin claimed he “sang patriotic songs” with the returned agents at a special reception.
7. Following her return to Russia, Chapman embraced celebrity in her home country and worked as a TV presenter, model and influencer with her own fashion line.
8. Last year, Anna began a brand new job. She was appointed head of the Museum of Russian ­Intelligence. She is still active on Instagram under the name Anya Chapman.

READ THE FULL STORY: True story of ‘Russian spy next door’ who seduced her way into corridors of power