Russian President Vladimir Putin has unleashed a new version of the decades-old KGB, described by an intelligence expert as "KGB 2.0."

Some of the events the new unit has had a hand in include "botched assassination plots, explosive-laden aircraft, and cyber strikes designed to throw Western powers off balance," according to a report in The Sun.

The new Russian spy unit, dubbed SSD, an abbreviation for "Department of Special Tasks," is believed to be responsible for a series of attacks throughout Europe. The unit reportedly was put together in 2023, a year after Russia invaded Ukraine.

The Sun reported that Lance Hunter, a professor of international relations and an intelligence expert at Georgia's Augusta University, said the SSD is a highly capable unit equipped for spy craft and military-style disruptions. "It attempts to consolidate different elements of Russia’s intelligence services, often coordinating with and operating alongside other Russian special unit forces."

James Appathurai, a NATO deputy assistant secretary-general, told The Sun, "Russia believes it is in conflict with what it calls ‘the collective West’ and is acting accordingly — right up to threatening us with nuclear weapons."

The report said incidents attributed to the Russian military operative unit have stopped in recent months. That is considered to be a political move to allow Russian President Putin more negotiating room with NATO and amid the lagging peace efforts with Ukraine.

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