The Russian Spy Who Became a Green Beret

A Flawed Vision

When Kremlin operatives first approached Peter Debbins, he was a university student in Minnesota fueled by a vision of liberating Russia from its authoritarian regime.

“I had a messianic vision for myself in Russia, that I was going to free them from their oppressive government, so I was flattered when they reached out.”

Debbins disclosed this to U.S. prosecutors later.

Russian Ties from Birth

With a mother from the Soviet Union and influenced by his grandmother’s tales of life under communism, Debbins pursued studies in international relations and Russian to connect with his heritage. His engagement with Russia deepened when he joined a study abroad program. “He went to Russia as part of a study abroad program; many do. The GRU spotted him but didn’t put much effort into recruiting him, nor handling him during the early years of the relationship,” Christopher Burgess, an ex-CIA officer, remarked.

While planning to serve in the U.S. military through the University of Minnesota’s ROTC, Debbins fell for Yelena Selyutin in Chelyabinsk, Russia, where her father served as an Air Force colonel. This connection set the stage for deeper involvement with Russian intelligence.

Cold War Tensions

During the tension-filled Cold War era, Debbins caught the attention of the GRU, who tested his loyalties, which were complicated by his engagement to Yelena. They lured him with a seemingly benign meeting that included dinner and light espionage games like uncovering local church secrets without causing suspicion. The stakes escalated with offers of gifts for U.S. defense secrets and emergency communication plans involving coded postcards.

Swept up by the thrill and the attention from the GRU, Debbins embraced his role, even as he later expressed concerns for his in-laws’ safety in Russia, which his defense suggested might have coerced his cooperation. Despite these pressures, Debbins confessed that the U.S. needed to be “cut down to size.”

His Spying Predated His Becoming a Green Beret

His role as a Kremlin insider deepened. By 1999, stationed as a U.S. Army Lieutenant in South Korea, Debbins passed sensitive information to Russia. His ambition within military ranks grew, leading him to the elite Green Berets in Germany. Yet, his career halted abruptly in 2005 due to security lapses, including letting his wife use his government-issued phone during a mission in Azerbaijan.

Disgruntled by the end of his military career, Debbins provided detailed briefings to the GRU about Green Beret operations. His betrayal resonated deeply within the U.S. military community, with one officer voicing the permanent impact of such treason: “My detachment commander sold me out to Russia,” revealing the lasting sense of vulnerability and mistrust this engendered.

Spying as a Military Contractor

Debbins’ later efforts to penetrate U.S. intelligence circles as a private contractor were motivated by financial gain rather than ideological commitment. His intelligence career, spanning both military and private sectors, raised alarms only in retrospect, given his repeated clearances and sensitive roles despite his compromised loyalty.

Debbins’ espionage climaxed when discrepancies during a routine security screening and polygraph in 2019 led to his confession. Prosecutors highlighted his shift from ideological to financial motives over time, underscoring the risks he posed to national security and his fellow servicemen.

Ultimately, Debbins’ extensive double life culminated in a 2021 conviction, sentencing him to over 15 years in prison after a quarter-century of espionage activities. The full extent of the damage he inflicted remains uncertain, leaving a legacy of betrayal and unresolved security concerns.