The new spies’ celebratory online picture could compromise their ability to work undercover

Fifty of the newest recruits to the FSB, Russia’s secret intelligence service, are being investigated for misconduct after they celebrated their entry into the world of spying by driving through Moscow in a motorcade and posting their pictures on the internet.

The faces of the newly minted intelligence officers were clearly visible in photographs and a video that were widely circulated online, in some cases together with their full names.

Alexander Mikhailov, a retired major-general in the FSB, accused the graduates of “betraying” their motherland.

“It’s treason, he said. “Nobody knows where these guys will serve. How can you post online their photographs? Half of them should be fired, and the other half should start their service with reprimands.”

Other former Russian intelligence officers warned