Home/ Resources / Projects / CIA Pseudonyms / pseudonym: MOSKALEVSKIY_YURI

Pseudonym: Moskalevskiy, Yuriy Ivanovich

Return to Main Pseudos Page

Definition:
Alias used by Yuriy Ivanovich Moskalev, who was almost certainly the "Mystery Man" in Mexico. All signs are that this was a GRU alias, not a CIA alias. Also used the alias Yuriy Mikhailovich Moskalev.
Category:
alias
Status:
Documented
Sources:

104-10428-10053: INFORMATION REPORT: COLONEL YURIY IVANOVICH MOSKALEVSKIY

7/9/63 memo from S. Tull of SR/CI/G discusses a report from source AEDAZZLE-1: "Source identified a photo of Moskalevskiy (not by name, nor was the name supplied) as that of Air Force Colonel and GRU officer in the Information Directorate of the GRU who attended a meeting in London in May or June 1961. Comment: No SR/6/Bio traces. Informal REDACTED traces report that Yuri Ivanovich Moskalevskiy, born 17 January 1920, a radio engineer, attended a conference on Electronics in London from 12 to 17 June 1961." Marginalia states with a arrow to 17 January 1920: "N.B. - Birthdate! Also recorded as 23 July 1920."

104-10413-10306: FILE: KORNILOV, MOSKALEV, ET AL

This chronology of Moskalev's activity refers to the post above and identifies AEDAZZLE-1 as Oleg Penkovsky. See page 18: Yuri Moskalev is identified as having four birthdates: 23 July 1920; 17 January 1920; 21 July 1920; and 1930. This page also shows that he had used three different names on his passports: Yuriy Moskalev; Yuriy Ivanovich Moskalev, and Yuriy Mikhailovich Moskalev. Page 3: In 1978, Raymond Warren presents a file called "Yuri" to HSCA Principal Coordinator Scott Breckenridge "which contains informal and preliminary research based on a theory that Yuriy Ivanovich Moskalev might be identifiable with the "unidentified man" observed entering and departing the Soviet embassy in Mexico City, Mexico, in October 1963." At p. 6: "The 'unidentified man' was recently identified by SLIPSTREAM as a KGB type by name of 'Yuri' whom he knew in Moscow in 1964. According to travel records Moskalev was in the USSR in 1964, in the US in October 1963. Moskalev functions officially as a Soviet scientist and often attends international conferences. He has been in contact with known GRU Soviet diplomat (sic) in the US."

Bill Simpich, State Secret: Chapter 5

The twin Oct 10 (1963 Mexico City) memos were cleverly crafted. One went to the national headquarters of the FBI, State, and Navy, and contained a description of “Lee Henry Oswald” as “6 feet tall, athletic build, age 35”, a deliberate lie. This description was similar to a file card description of Yuri Moskalev, who CIA officers believed was probably the "Mystery Man" in the October 1 photo. The photo was not provided but was available if needed. It also claimed that this information was being shared “with your representatives in Mexico City”. But that was not true, either. The second memo went directly to the Mexico City station itself, with a different description of “Lee Henry Oswald” as “5 foot 10, 165 pounds” that matched the Robert Wesbster-like description of Oswald used by Egerter and the FBI for molehunting purposes during Oswald’s days in the Soviet Union. (A CIA note during the seventies confirms that the Agency knew there was confusion in identifying the two men, although I haven't yet found the full memo itself.)

104-10431-10059: INVENTORY OF RUSS HOLMES ANCILLARY FILES, BOXES 1- 13

CI officer Russ Holmes determined that Yuriy Ivanovich Moskalev was the "possible identity of 'unidentified individual'".

Contributors:
Bill Simpich

© Mary Ferrell Foundation. All Rights Reserved. |Site Map |MFF Policies |Contact Us