What did the declassified documents reveal?

VENONA mis From: NEW YORK, To: Moscow Nor 1120 10 July 1943 To VIKTOR( i). = [1 group unrecovered] instruction of Commember MIKOYal "ANTON" [ii] is fully [1 group unidentified] to go to PORTLAND for carrying out the shipment of cargoes [2 groups unrecovered]. "ANTON" can [c% return] to TYRE[ iii] only with Commember MIKOYaN's permission. "KAVALERTST'[iv] is leaving 15 July [1 group unrecovered] with 300 dollars cash payment equivalent [8 groups unrecovered] No. 627 MAKSIM[ v] [4] VIKTOR: Lt. Gen. P.M. FITIN. © [44] ANTON: Leonid Romanovich KVASNIKOV. [aii] TYRE: NEW YORK CITY. [iv] KAVALERIST: i.e. CAVALRYMAN, Sergej KURNAKOV. [v] MAKSIM: Vasilij Mikhajlovich ZUBILIN. This is a VENONA cable transmitted from New York to Moscow on July ten, nineteen forty‑three. The message is notable because it contains operational instructions for agents identified only by code names, offering a rare glimpse into the cryptic language used by Soviet intelligence networks during the Second World War. The source is archived at the Black Vault, a public‑domain repository for declassified government records. The document was released through the Black Vault archive entry titled “10jul agent descriptions.” The release date is not indicated in the archive metadata, and no FOIA case number is associated with this posting. The declassification authority is listed as the United States National Archives, and the material is made available under public‑domain terms. The full text can be accessed at the Black Vault URL https://archive.org/download/10julagentdescriptions/10julagentdescriptionsdjvu.txt, which also serves as the canonical PDF reference. The document itself reads as follows: VENONA mis From: NEW YORK, To: Moscow Nor 1120 10 July 1943 To VIKTOR( i). = [1 group unrecovered] instruction of Commember MIKOYal "ANTON" [ii] is fully [1 group unidentified] to go to PORTLAND for carrying out the shipment of cargoes [2 groups unrecovered]. "ANTON" can [c% return] to TYRE[ iii] only with Commember MIKOYaN's permission. "KAVALERTST'[iv] is leaving 15 July [1 group unrecovered] with 300 dollars cash payment equivalent [8 groups unrecovered] No. 627 MAKSIM[ v] [4] VIKTOR: Lt. Gen. P.M. FITIN. © [44] ANTON: Leonid Romanovich KVASNIKOV. [aii] TYRE: NEW YORK CITY. [iv] KAVALERIST: i.e. CAVALRYMAN, Sergej KURNAKOV. [v]

Why was this case declassified?

This material was released by the National Security Agency (NSA) through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. The originating source document is linked on this page so the citation chain is auditable.

10jul Agent Descriptions

◆ BLUF — The short version

VENONA mis From: NEW YORK, To: Moscow Nor 1120 10 July 1943 To VIKTOR( i). = [1 group unrecovered] instruction of Commember MIKOYal "ANTON" [ii] is fully [1 group unidentified] to go to PORTLAND for carrying out the shipment of cargoes [2 groups unrecovered].

Agency: National Security Agency (NSA)
Date: JUL 18 · 2026
Release: Declassified · U.S. public record (FOIA)
Source document: View the primary source document

↯ Dispatch — press play3:03

0:003:03

↯ Share

X in r/

Episode notes

View the primary source document

Questions about this case

What was 10jul Agent Descriptions about?: VENONA mis From: NEW YORK, To: Moscow Nor 1120 10 July 1943 To VIKTOR( i). = [1 group unrecovered] instruction of Commember MIKOYal "ANTON" [ii] is fully [1 group unidentified] to go to PORTLAND for carrying out the shipment of cargoes [2 groups unrecovered].
Why was this case declassified?: This material was released by the National Security Agency (NSA) through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. The originating source document is linked in the case notes above so the citation chain is fully auditable.

intelligence-vault

Related cases

NSA

More from NSA

✉ Dispatches

A short dispatch when a new file is released — narrated, answer-first, and linked straight to the primary source. No spam; unsubscribe anytime.

↯ Subscribe to the feed

RSS feed Browse all cases

10jul Agent Descriptions

Questions about this case

Related cases

CIA Today, A Declassified CIA

Today, A Declassified Central Intelligence Agency Record About Project Clear

CIA Today On Declassified, We Examine A Joint Atomic Energy Intelligence Committee

CIA Today's Declassified Presents A Memorandum For The Record From The Central

Today, We Examine A Declassified Government Record On U.s.

More from NSA

27apr Messages

27dec Press Reports

19dec Psalm Reader

13may Personnel

6mar Oswald

Questions about this case

Related cases

CIA Today, A Declassified CIA

Today, A Declassified Central Intelligence Agency Record About Project Clear

CIA Today On Declassified, We Examine A Joint Atomic Energy Intelligence Committee

CIA Today's Declassified Presents A Memorandum For The Record From The Central

Today, We Examine A Declassified Government Record On U.s.

More from NSA

27apr Messages

27dec Press Reports

19dec Psalm Reader

13may Personnel

6mar Oswald

Get the next declassified case in your inbox