Security officers from the Arkhangelsk region neutralized 112 spies and saboteurs during the Great Patriotic War

During the Great Patriotic War, Arkhangelsk was the main port for aid supplies from Europe and the USA to the USSR.

Security officers from the Arkhangelsk region protected aid supplies from Nazi saboteurs.

Since August 1942, the NKVD authorities in the Arkhangelsk region identified and arrested 112 enemy spies and saboteurs.

MOSCOW, August 31 - RIA Novosti. During the Great Patriotic War, security officers from the Arkhangelsk region protected supplies of aid from the United States and Europe by northern convoys from Nazi saboteurs, and thereby made a great contribution to the Victory, according to archival documents on the history of domestic state security agencies, which RIA Novosti reviewed.

Arkhangelsk was the main port through which aid came to the USSR from Europe and the USA during the Great Patriotic War.

It was here on the roadstead of the Northern Dvina on August 31, 1941 that the ships and vessels of the first allied convoy "Dervish" anchored. With this convoy, supplies to the Soviet Union of much-needed food, weapons, equipment, and strategic materials began.

Considering the strategic importance of these supplies, the Nazis sought to conduct reconnaissance and carry out sabotage on transport routes in this part of the USSR.

On March 8, 1943, the Directorate of the People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs (NKVD) of the USSR for the Arkhangelsk Region reported to higher structures about the results of the work against German intelligence officers and saboteurs.

“Since August 1942, the NKVD authorities in the Arkhangelsk region have identified and arrested 112 enemy spies and saboteurs, of which 30 were parachutists and radio operators trained in special intelligence schools, dropped on enemy intelligence planes; 37 were German intelligence agents deployed across the front line; 45 were agents of other foreign intelligence services.” - the document said.

It was indicated that the main tasks of the German agents were not only monitoring the arriving caravans, but also correcting the actions of enemy bombers during raids on Arkhangelsk, as well as collecting data on warships, warehouses and locations of military units. In addition, the possibilities of large parachute landings and offensive actions of German and Finnish troops were studied. The operation of railway transport was also monitored.

At the same time, along with intelligence tasks, German agents often received tasks to organize and commit sabotage on transport and in the ports of Arkhangelsk and Molotovsk (now Severodvinsk).