The largest Russia-US spy swap since the Cold War appeared to be in motion today, with up to 10 guilty pleas planned in New York by defendants accused of spying for Russia in exchange for the release of convicted Russian spies.

The largest Russia-US spy swap since the Cold War appeared to be underway today as a jailed Russian was freed from a Moscow prison and flown to Vienna.

Foreign Affairs Minister Micheál Martin has denied that the Irish passport is a soft touch.

A laptop owned by the US-based Russian spy ring’s suspected paymaster was being searched by experts today after he vanished in Cyprus.

A married couple suspected of spying on the United States have admitted they are Russian citizens who were using fake names.

Within hours of his capture, US prosecutors say Russian spy suspect Juan Lazaro admitted his name was an alias.

A US prosecutor warned that a powerful and sophisticated network of US-based Russian agents was eager to help defendants in an alleged spy ring flee the country on bail.

A US judge granted bail to one person accused of spying for Russia and denied bail to two others after a prosecutor warned the defendants had plenty of helpers in the US to help them flee.

Cyprus authorities stepped up their search today for the 11th alleged member of a Russian spy ring who vanished after skipping bail, but police refused to answer questions about why the suspect was granted bail in the first place.

Officials in Dublin are today investigating claims that a false Irish passport was to be used by a member an alleged Russian spy ring in the US.

Diplomats were tonight trying to trace records of an Irish passport given to a US-based Russian spy on a debriefing mission.

A false Irish passport was allegedly to be used by members of a Russian spy ring arrested in the United States, it was disclosed today.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has said that one of the people arrested in the US on suspicion of being a spy is alleged to have travelled on a forged Irish passport.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry said it is studying US statements about the arrest of 10 alleged Russian spies.

The FBI arrested 10 people for allegedly serving for years as secret agents of Russia’s intelligence service, the SVR, with the goal of penetrating US government policymaking circles.