▁of ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Emb ass y . ▁His ▁controller ▁in ▁Paris , ▁the ▁Lat v ian ▁O z olin - H ask ins ▁( code ▁name ▁Pierre ), ▁was ▁shot ▁in ▁Moscow ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 7 ▁during ▁St alin ' s ▁pur ge . ▁His ▁successor , ▁Bor is ▁B azar ov , ▁suffered ▁the ▁same ▁fate ▁two ▁years ▁later ▁during ▁the ▁p urg es . ▁▁ ▁Both ▁the ▁British ▁and ▁the ▁S ovi ets ▁were ▁interested ▁in ▁the ▁combat ▁performance ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁Mess ersch mitt ▁B f ▁ 1 0 9 s ▁and ▁Pan zer ▁I ▁and ▁II s ▁deployed ▁with ▁F asc ist ▁forces ▁in ▁Spain . ▁Phil by ▁told ▁the ▁British , ▁after ▁a ▁direct ▁question ▁to ▁Franco , ▁that ▁German ▁troops ▁would ▁never ▁be ▁permitted ▁to ▁cross ▁Spain ▁to ▁attack ▁Gib ral tar . ▁ ▁His ▁Soviet ▁controller ▁at ▁the ▁time , ▁The odore ▁Mal y , ▁reported ▁in ▁April ▁ 1 9 3 7 ▁to ▁the ▁NK VD ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁personally ▁brief ed ▁Phil by ▁on ▁the ▁need ▁" to ▁discover ▁the ▁system ▁of ▁guard ing ▁Franco ▁and ▁his ▁ent ou rage ". ▁Mal y ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ' s ▁most ▁powerful ▁and ▁influ ential ▁illegal ▁controllers ▁and ▁rec ruit ers . ▁With ▁the ▁goal ▁of ▁potentially ▁arr anging ▁Franco ' s ▁assass ination , ▁Phil by ▁was ▁instruct ed ▁to ▁report ▁on ▁vulner able ▁points ▁in ▁Franco ' s ▁security ▁and ▁recommend ▁ways ▁to ▁gain ▁access ▁to ▁him ▁and ▁his