It's thought the Russian counterintelligence unit could already be operating in Ukraine. DEATH TO SPIES Putin resurrects Joseph Stalin’s ‘secret weapon’ the feared SMERSH spy-catchers who purged Soviet Russia VLADIMIR Putin has resurrected the feared counterintelligence group Smersh, according to British intelligence. Smersh, its name derived from an acronym for “death to spies”, was formed by Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin in 1941 to catch spies and round up dissidents against the communist regime. 6 Russian President Vladimir Putin is thought to have resurrected the counterintelligence unit Smersh Credit: AFP 6 Soviet dictator Joe Stalin created Smersh during the Second World...