Soviet Spy Device Secretly Bugged US AmbassadorS Residence for Seven Years
MOSCOW – For seven years, a highly sophisticated soviet listening device remained hidden in plain sight within the Moscow residence of the U.S. Ambassador, undetected by American security measures. The device, dubbed “The Thing,” operated without batteries, electronic circuits, or a heat source, making it virtually invisible to detection methods of the time. Its existence wasn’t revealed until 1951, when a chance discovery by a British radio operator inadvertently exposed the covert operation.
The device, disguised as a decorative object resembling a hat pin and a handmade National Emblem, utilized a passive technology. It only activated when struck by a high-frequency signal transmitted from nearby buildings, reflecting sound vibrations back to a receiver. John Little, a 79-year-old British counter-surveillance specialist, described “The Thing” as a tube-like structure with a drum-like membrane, designed to vibrate with human voices.”The engineering of this tool is like a cross between a Swiss watch and a micrometer,” Little stated in a documentary released this year.
The breach occurred at Spaso house, the U.S.Ambassador’s residence in Moscow, beginning in 1945. The device’s presence remained unknown until a British military radio operator, while tuning radio waves in 1951, stumbled upon a conversation originating from within the residence. This accidental interception prompted a three-day intensive search by U.S. security personnel, ultimately leading to the discovery of the concealed listening device.
The revelation of “The Thing” highlights a meaningful intelligence failure during the early years of the Cold War and underscores the ingenuity of Soviet espionage tactics. A film detailing the story premiered in May and will be screened again at the National Computer Museum in Bletchley Park, England, on September 27, 2025.