The Rise and Controversy of Nomma Zarubina: Accused of Working for Russian Intelligence in the U.S.
In recent days, the life of Russian citizen Nomma Zarubina has drastically changed. She gained notoriety due to accusations made by U.S. authorities, alleging that she consciously and deliberately made substantially false, fictitious, and fraudulent statements and representations. Nomma resides of New York City, having immigrated to the United States in 2016.
РУССКАЯ КАЛИФОРНИЯ — RUSSIAN CALIFORNIA — The FBI has charged Zarubina with working for Russian intelligence and providing false information to agents.
The California media outlet Slavic Sacramento reported that during interviews with special agents, she falsely claimed that she had not been in contact with members of the Russian government or Russian intelligence services, despite knowing she had communicated with an FSB officer who asked her to carry out certain tasks in the United States on their behalf. U.S. authorities believe this communication lasted from December 2020 to 2022.
Zarubina, born in 1990 in Tomsk, Russia, has been actively involved in organizing annual youth forums in the U.S. to promote Russian interests. She coordinated meetings between students from Russian universities and the then-deputy permanent representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations.
According to the FBI, in December 2020, Zarubina met with an FSB officer in Russia and signed an agreement to assist the FSB with “network marketing” in the U.S. During this meeting, she was assigned the code name «Alyssa» for use in FSB internal documents.
During her first voluntary interview with FBI agents in a Brooklyn restaurant in 2020, Zarubina claimed that she had known activist Elena Branson for several years, had close contact with her daughter, and worked with Branson to maintain the website of the Russian Cultural Center in New York (RCNY), even writing some articles herself. She discussed cultural events organized by RCNY and acknowledged that some of these events were supported directly by Moscow.
During this conversation, Zarubina stated that she had never been in contact with representatives of Russian security or intelligence services. She admitted that some of her former classmates from RANEPA were involved in such agencies, but she maintained that she had no relationships with them after graduating from university.
In April 2021, as part of a broader investigation concerning Branson, who had left the U.S., FBI agents met with Zarubina again. She mentioned her trips to Russia in November 2020 and January 2021 but reiterated that she had not come into contact with representatives of Russian security or intelligence.
On August 15, 2022, FBI agents interviewed Zarubina once more. During this meeting, she stated that she had worked with two non-governmental organizations («NGOs») linked to Russia, and her role was to “establish contacts” and “build relationships with important individuals.”
As this complex story unfolds, the investigation into the New York resident continues, raising significant questions regarding her involvement with Russian intelligence and the nature of her activities in the United States.
