page_title: Anatoli Yatskov
section_title: Career
hierarchical_section_title: Anatoli Yatskov / Career
caption_attribution_description: English: Anatoli Yatskov on Russian stamp Русский: Анатолий Яцков — советский разведчик.
context_page_description: Anatoly Antonovich Yatskov, also known as Anatoli Yatzkov – was a Soviet consul in New York as well as intelligence officer handling American agents in the U.S. Manhattan Project during war. His spy cover was eventually blown by the U.S. Army Venona Program which identified him as a key NKVD agent involved in 1940s Atomic Spy Ring.
context_section_description: In 1940 Yatskov had graduated the NKVD intelligence school (NKVD Special Academy, SHON) majoring in English and was assigned to NKVD Department 5 (foreign operations) Section 5 (U.S. operations). In 1941 he was given his first overseas assignment in New York as a case officer at the NKVD station (Rezidentura) at the Soviet Consulate general under the alias name of Anatoly Yakovlev. His NKVD operational alias at the time was JONNY. He was employed as a consular apprentice till 1943, being eventually promoted to Soviet vice-concul (ranking 3rd Secretary).
  In New York station Yatskov was eventually assigned to most sensitive NKVD operations concerning the allied Manhattan project (known in NKVD as OPERATION ENORMOUS). NKVD New York station was crucial for the Soviet Union in obtaining most sensitive data on the U.S. Army Los-Alamos nuclear facility and precise knowledge on development of the A-Bomb. Among other activities Yatskov has recruited Harry Gold at Pennsylvania Sugar Company, his NKVD colleague Alexander Feklisov further employing Gold to liaise with Soviet agents in the U.S. Manhattan Project. Beside Gold main NKVD courriers between New York and Los Alamos National Laboratory included Cohen couple (known to NKVD as VOLUNTEERS). Being close with Cohens Yatskov was able to covertly communicate with chief atomic scientist Klaus Fuchs directly involved in Manhattan Project.
  Yatskov was rotated back from New York back to Russia in 1946. Having left U.S. soil four years prior to the Rosenbergs trial he was summoned in the indictment as one of Julius Rosenberg NKVD case officers but legal action was waived due to his diplomatic immunity. Returning to the Soviet Union, Yatskov was awarded rank of NKVD colonel and held senior positions in NKVD foreign scientific department. He was engaged in case handlings in Europe and Asia, in 1950s being posted to Paris and Berlin as well as covertly living for some time in Iraq as a Canadian national.
  In 1960s Yatskov was named the senior case officer in KGB foreign scientific department (named Department T) responsible for assessing and recruiting foreign scientists on Soviet soil. In 1970s Yatskov had left active posts and was named the scientific head of KGB Intelligence Academy (Red Banner Academy, known as KI). He retired from KGB as a colonel in 1985, living in Moscow in his retirement and buried at Moscow Vagankov cemetery.
caption: Anatoli Yatskov on a 1993 official Russian stamp
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