The remarkable defection of a top Soviet spy, Vladimir Kuzichkin, to British intelligence service MI6 was driven by a personal request for help with erectile dysfunction, according to a new book.
Kuzichkin, a KGB major codenamed Redwood, was stationed in Tehran in 1981 as part of a Soviet plot to overthrow Ayatollah Khomeini's government. The plan involved Soviet-backed Iranian communists, with tanks poised to cross Iran's northern borders from Soviet-occupied territory in Afghanistan and Turkmenistan. Such a successful coup would have given the Soviets control of the Strait of Hormuz and Persian Gulf oilfields, a scenario deeply concerning to Western powers.
Ben Macintyre's book, "Redwood: The Untold Story of the Cold War's Most Extraordinary Spy," reveals that MI6 had posted a new agent, Ian McCredie, to the British embassy in Tehran six months prior. This was a daring move by Margaret Thatcher's government, as foreigners, particularly British and American diplomats, were widely viewed with suspicion and accused of espionage.
On October 1, 1981, Kuzichkin approached the British embassy and offered to switch sides. MI6, initially wary of a potential trap, eventually authorized McCredie to meet with the defector. McCredie collected Kuzichkin, concealing him in the back of a Land Rover before driving to the embassy. Inside a bathroom, with faucets running and a radio on to potentially thwart any surveillance, Kuzichkin revealed details of the coup plot and other KGB operations in Iran. He also provided MI6 with the Soviet embassy's phone directory, listing over 100 spies and diplomats.
During their clandestine meeting, Kuzichkin made a personal request to McCredie, explaining his "big problem" with his inability to perform sexually with his wife, Galina. He believed Western medicine, specifically the kind available in the West, could offer a cure. This personal struggle, rather than financial gain or ideological disillusionment, was his primary motivation for defecting.
McCredie relayed the request to MI6 superiors, who consulted the service's chief medical officer. A suggested treatment, involving red pills containing iron and vitamins, was provided. These were disguised within a ballpoint pen and smuggled into the Tehran embassy. While not Viagra, MI6 hoped for a placebo effect.
In the following weeks, MI6 analysts studied the intelligence provided by Kuzichkin, including reams of KGB documents photographed with a British spy camera. However, the strain of his betrayal and his failing marriage led Kuzichkin to activate a fallback plan for exfiltration within six months. Fearing his wife might report him to the KGB after discovering his activities, he sought urgent extraction from Iran.
In October 1982, McCredie was tasked with arranging Kuzichkin's defection, which was successfully completed within three weeks. Details of Kuzichkin's life in Britain after his defection remain largely unknown.