Kids of released Russian spies didn’t know they were Russian

The lives of two kids have been turned upside down after they found out they were living a lie.

The siblings, aged 11 and eight, had been living in Slovenia since 2017 – but nothing was as it seemed.

Friends and families knew their parents as Argentinian couple Maria Rosa Mayer Munos and her husband.

But in December 2022, secret police broke into their home and arrested the pair, who were really Russian spies Artyom Dultsev and Anna Dultseva.

They were held in prison for 20 months and their kids, a girl and a boy, were sent to live in foster care*.

Last week, the imprisoned parents were trialled and sent back to Russia with their two kids as part of a historic prisoner exchange program between Russia and the US.

Twenty-four prisoners were freed, including 16 that had been held in Russia and eight Russians that had been held in western countries*.

The Slovenian government had held talks with the presidents of both Russia and the US about including the Dultsev family in the exchange.

The couple were trialled in a Slovenian court and were found to have already served enough time in jail as part of their sentence. They were deported* back to Russia.

But it wasn’t until the Dultsev kids stepped onto the plane that would take them back to their homeland that they found out they were even Russian.

Their parents were known as “illegals” – Russian spies that were so undercover, they no longer communicated with family members in Russia. Even their kids had no idea of their parents’ secret job as “sleeper agents*”.

Nor had they ever learnt to speak Russian. Instead they spoke Spanish, the language of Argentina, where both of the children were born.

They also didn’t know who Russia’s president Vladimir Putin was – and he was set to greet them at the airport when they landed.

A spokesman for the Kremlin*, Dmitry Peskov told reporters, “When the children came down the plane’s steps … (President Vladimir) Putin greeted them in Spanish. He said, ‘Buenas noches'.”

“Buenas noches” means “Good evening” in Spanish.

President Putin sent out a statement to all of the Russians who had been released in the prisoner exchange thanking them for their loyalty and adding that they would be nominated for state awards.

“Your country never forgot about you, even for a minute,” President Putin said.

“You and I will meet again some time later, and we will talk about your future.”

POLL

GLOSSARY

• foster care: when kids are sent to live with another family if their own parents can’t look after them
• western countries: a group of countries, including the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK and various countries in Europe, based upon a shared culture and similar political viewpoints
• deported: sent back to your home country after living in another country for a period of time
• sleeper agents: a spy placed in another country to be used if needed, but without an immediate mission to undertake
• Kremlin: the Russian Government

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QUICK QUIZ
1. When did the kids find out they were Russian?
2. What language did Vladimir Putin greet them in?
3. Why did he use this language?
4. Why was the family deported to Russia?
5. How many prisoners were freed during the US and Russian prisoner exchange?

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CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Identity crisis
The children of these undercover Russian spies have been through quite a traumatic ordeal. From thinking they were Argentinian, with normal parents, to find out they are actually Russian and their parents are real-life spies!

What may be some of the long-term effects of this ordeal for the kids, aged 11 and 8.

Discuss with a partner and list some of the issues they may be facing now and into the future;

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Time: allow 15 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

2. Extension
These parents are what is known as ‘sleeper spies’. A sleeper agent is a spy or operative who is placed in a target country or organisation, not to undertake an immediate mission, but instead to act as a potential asset on short notice if activated.

Why do you think a married couple with kids would want this type of job?

Do you think they would get paid?

Do you think the risk to their children and family is worth the reward?

Time: allow 10 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

VCOP ACTIVITY
BAB it!
Show you have read and understood the article by writing three sentences using the connectives “because’’, “and”, and “but” (BAB). Your sentences can share different facts or opinions, or the same ones but written about in different ways.