Russia's Secret Data Market Backfires, Aids Ukrainian Spies

Russia is trying to shut down its own vast, illegal market for leaked personal data. For years, state authorities tolerated this shadow system. Now, Ukrainian intelligence agents are using it against Russia. The market is known as *probiv*. The term comes from a verb meaning "to pierce" or to search a database. It is a parallel information economy. It works through a network of corrupt officials, police, bank workers, and security staff. They sell access to private government and corporate databases. This system has long been used by journalists, criminals, and even Russian police. The state found it useful and let it operate. Now, that decision is causing major problems. Ukrainian spies are exploiting the same *probiv* channels to gather intelligence on Russia. This has forced the Kremlin into a rapid crackdown on a market it once allowed to thrive.