▁Soviet ▁Armen ia ▁and ▁th ence ▁to ▁Russia . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁not ▁until ▁ 1 ▁July ▁ 1 9 6 3 ▁that ▁Phil by ' s ▁flight ▁to ▁Moscow ▁was ▁officially ▁confirmed . ▁On ▁ 3 0 ▁July ▁Soviet ▁officials ▁announced ▁that ▁they ▁had ▁granted ▁him ▁political ▁as yl um ▁in ▁the ▁USS R , ▁along ▁with ▁Soviet ▁citizens hip . ▁When ▁the ▁news ▁broke , ▁M I 6 ▁came ▁under ▁criticism ▁for ▁failing ▁to ▁anticip ate ▁and ▁block ▁Phil by ' s ▁defe ction , ▁though ▁Elli ott ▁was ▁to ▁claim ▁he ▁could ▁not ▁have ▁prevent ed ▁Phil by ' s ▁flight . ▁Journal ist ▁Ben ▁Mac int y re , ▁author ▁of ▁several ▁works ▁on ▁esp ion age , ▁wrote ▁in ▁his ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁book ▁on ▁Phil by ▁that ▁M I 6 ▁might ▁have ▁left ▁open ▁the ▁opportunity ▁for ▁Phil by ▁to ▁fle e ▁to ▁Moscow ▁to ▁avoid ▁an ▁embar rass ing ▁public ▁trial . ▁Phil by ▁himself ▁thought ▁this ▁might ▁have ▁been ▁the ▁case , ▁according ▁to ▁Mac int y re . ▁ ▁When ▁F BI ▁Director ▁J . ▁Ed gar ▁Ho over ▁was ▁informed ▁that ▁one ▁of ▁M I 6 ' s ▁top ▁men ▁was ▁a ▁sp y ▁for ▁the ▁Rus si ans , ▁he ▁said , ▁" T ell ▁' em ▁Jesus ▁Christ ▁only ▁had ▁twelve , ▁and ▁one ▁of ▁them ▁was ▁a ▁double ▁[ agent ] ." ▁ ▁Moscow ▁Upon ▁his ▁arrival ▁in ▁Moscow , ▁Phil by ▁discovered ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁not ▁a