Putin quietly honors Russian espionage agents with Order of Courage
Russian President Vladimir Putin has quietly awarded Artem and Anna Dulzev the Order of Courage. The Dulzevs, who returned to Russia on August 1 as part of a prisoner exchange, previously engaged in espionage activities for Russia by posing as Argentine citizens.
The awards bestowed upon the Dulzevs have not been publicly disclosed. However, the media outlet Agenstvo noticed a publication in the "Rassvet" journal. This is the official print edition of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR). The December issue contains an extensive interview with the Dulzevs and mentions that they were "awarded the Order of Courage by the decree of the President of Russia." The exact date and reasons for the award were not detailed. However, a photograph depicts Sergey Naryshkin presenting them with other medals on August 30, 2024, at the SVR headquarters in Yasenevo.
Anna and Artem Dulzev were detained in Slovenia in December 2022. They had assumed the identities of Ludwig Gish and Maria Meyer, carrying Argentine passports. The journal "Rassvet" notes that the Dulzevs "have been abroad under special conditions since 2012." They even covertly attended the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia as Argentine nationals.
In July 2024, a Ljubljana court sentenced Artem and Anna Dulzev to 1 year and 7 months in prison for espionage charges. In their "Rassvet" interview, Anna revealed that "an SVR representative in Slovenia" visited them during their imprisonment.
The Dulzev children, Sofia and Daniil, were also part of the August 1 exchange. Upon the family's arrival at Vnukovo airport, Vladimir Putin greeted the children in Spanish, saying, "Buenas noches!"