In a startling revelation, intelligence officials have uncovered how Russian spies used YouTube videos of football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo to send encrypted messages back to Moscow.
The scheme came to light following the arrest of a seemingly normal German couple, Andreas and Heidrun Anschlag, who were found guilty of espionage after working for Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) for over two decades.
For 23 years, the Anschlags lived quietly in Marburg, Germany, posing as Austrian citizens. Andreas worked as a car engineer, while Heidrun managed their home and raised their daughter, who was unaware of her parents’ secret lives.
Behind this facade, the couple funneled classified information from NATO, the EU, and the UN to Moscow. Their espionage tactics included traditional spy techniques such as dead drops and encrypted radio transmissions. However, with the rise of the internet, they adopted a more discreet method—YouTube comments.
According to former BBC security correspondent Gordon Corera, the couple created a YouTube account under the username @Aplenkuh1 (“Alpine Cow 1”) in early 2011. Soon after, the SVR set up a corresponding account named @crsitanofootballer to facilitate communication.
The spies would comment on Ronaldo-related videos using seemingly harmless phrases. For instance, one message read, “It’s a very nice video and the song is also very good,” to which the SVR account responded, “He runs and plays like the devil.”
German investigators determined that these comments contained coded messages using a system of punctuation marks that converted into numerical sequences, referencing pre-arranged codes. This method, akin to Cold War-era number stations, allowed spies to transmit information in broad daylight without raising suspicion.
The Anschlags’ operation was ultimately exposed by German intelligence forces. In a dramatic October 2011 raid, authorities stormed their home while Heidrun was in the middle of receiving an encrypted transmission. In shock, she fell off her chair and accidentally pulled the connection cable out, cutting the message short.
In July 2013, Andreas was sentenced to six and a half years in prison, while Heidrun received a five-and-a-half-year sentence. Their Dutch foreign ministry contact, who provided classified documents, was jailed for 12 years.
However, by the end of 2015, both spies were released and deported to Russia, where their current status remains unknown.
The case highlights how modern digital platforms can be exploited for espionage, blending covert operations with everyday online activity—right under the world’s nose.
