Evdokia Petrova

The Petrov Affair – Reds under the Bed! BY CALLUM WOOD As the Cold War was raging on in Europe and the Americas, a new front was rapidly advancing within Australia – espionage. The Petrov Affair was the highly controversial defection of Evdokia and Vladimir Petrov, a spy duo designed to conduct key operations in the Soviet Embassy of the Australian capital city. Background Story The Petrovs were two Soviet Intelligence operatives Vladimir Petrov and Evdokia Petrov. Both the Petrovs had specialised training in cyphering and code breaking, an asset to the Soviet regime of the 1940s and 1950s. In 1951, the Petrovs had earned the soviet government’s confidence and were soon ordered to the Soviet embassy in Australia. Their objective: to thwart…