1 9 9 6 ▁and ▁brought ▁with ▁him ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁SV R ▁officers ▁to ▁the ▁foreign ▁min istry ▁of ▁Russia . ▁ ▁In ▁September ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁Y el ts in ▁admitted ▁that ▁the ▁SV R ▁played ▁a ▁greater ▁role ▁in ▁Russian ▁foreign ▁policy ▁than ▁the ▁Foreign ▁Ministry . ▁It ▁was ▁reported ▁that ▁the ▁SV R ▁defined ▁the ▁Russian ▁position ▁on ▁the ▁transfer ▁of ▁nuclear ▁techn ologies ▁to ▁Iran , ▁NAT O ▁expansion , ▁and ▁modification ▁of ▁the ▁Anti - B all istic ▁Miss ile ▁Tre aty . ▁the ▁SV R ▁also ▁tried ▁to ▁justify ▁an nex ation ▁of ▁the ▁Balt ic ▁states ▁by ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁in ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁using ▁select ively ▁dec lass ified ▁documents . ▁ ▁Oper ations ▁ ▁Esp ion age ▁According ▁to ▁former ▁GR U ▁Colonel ▁Stanis lav ▁L une v , ▁" The ▁SV R ▁and ▁GR U ▁( Russ ia ' s ▁political ▁and ▁military ▁intelligence ▁ag encies , ▁respectively ) ▁are ▁operating ▁against ▁the ▁U . S . ▁in ▁a ▁much ▁more ▁active ▁manner ▁than ▁they ▁were ▁during ▁even ▁the ▁h ott est ▁days ▁of ▁the ▁Cold ▁War ." ▁From ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s , ▁K GB ▁and ▁later ▁SV R ▁began ▁to ▁create ▁" a ▁second ▁e ch el on " ▁of ▁" aux ili ary ▁agents ▁in ▁addition ▁to ▁our ▁main ▁weapons , ▁il leg als ▁and ▁special ▁agents ", ▁according ▁to ▁former ▁SV R ▁officer ▁K ou z min ov .