Flame-haired Russian spy and daughter of a diplomat may warm up Moscow's politics

Anna Chapman, flame-haired Russian spy and daughter of a diplomat, has entered into a new innings in Russian politics. Dubbed as modern day Bond girl and considered to be hot favourite of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, 28 years old Anna got a prominent role in a pro-Kremlin youth party.

Significantly, she was arrested along with nine others on June 27, 2010, on suspicion of spying under the Russian Federation’s external intelligence agency --- SVR. Later, she was deported from US.

Anna Chapman is actually Anya Kushchenko, the daughter of a Russian diplomat Vasily Kushchenko who had worked in Russian embassies in Africa. When she was arrested in US, her British ex-husband, Alex Chapman, narrated many events to the British media. He found his ex-father-in –law very intimidating. Anna’s diplomat father had a Land Rover with blacked-out windows and there was always one car in front of it and one car behind, Alex told media. The couple got married in 2002, merely five months after they met in a London nightclub, but the marriage ended up in a divorce in four years. In London, she worked at NetJets where she helped the company selling private jets to rich Russian clients, and then worked with Barclays Bank too. Later, she moved to US. (Picture Source: Facebook)

Action and Appointments

a) Vinay Kumar Sahni, a 1981 batch IDAS officer, has been appointed as joint secretary in the ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs.