How the CIA Hid a Camera Inside a Soviet Xerox Copier to Outsmart the KGB.

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When Xerox Became a Spy: CIA’s Secret Copier Operation Against the Soviet Union
One of the Cold War’s most remarkable espionage operations has resurfaced, revealing how the CIA secretly transformed a Soviet Xerox photocopier into a powerful intelligence-gathering device right under the KGB’s nose. According to recently highlighted reports, the CIA concealed a miniature 35mm camera inside a Xerox copier installed in a Soviet government office, allowing it to photograph every classified document that passed through the machine. Ingeniously, the copier’s own scanning lamp illuminated each page, while the hidden camera automatically captured images without detection. When the film cartridge became full, the machine was designed to develop a routine mechanical fault, prompting a legitimate Xerox service technician—who had reportedly been trained by the CIA—to replace the film during an ordinary maintenance visit before leaving unnoticed. The operation demonstrates how Xerox copiers became unexpected tools in Cold War espionage, showcasing the extraordinary lengths intelligence agencies went to obtain Soviet secrets decades before the age of digital hacking and cyber surveillance.

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July 29, 2026 at 11:17 AM