▁L uby anka , ▁according ▁to ▁Gen rik h ▁Bor ov ik , ▁who ▁saw ▁the ▁tele gram s ▁much ▁later ▁in ▁the ▁K GB ▁arch ives . ▁ ▁Phil by ▁provided ▁St alin ▁with ▁advance ▁warning ▁of ▁Operation ▁Bar bar ossa ▁and ▁of ▁the ▁Japanese ▁intention ▁to ▁strike ▁into ▁sout heast ▁Asia ▁instead ▁of ▁attack ing ▁the ▁USS R ▁as ▁Hitler ▁had ▁ur ged . ▁The ▁first ▁was ▁ignored ▁as ▁a ▁prov ocation , ▁but ▁the ▁second , ▁when ▁this ▁was ▁confirmed ▁by ▁the ▁Rus so - G erman ▁journalist ▁and ▁sp y ▁in ▁Tokyo , ▁Richard ▁S orge , ▁contributed ▁to ▁St alin ' s ▁decision ▁to ▁begin ▁transport ing ▁troops ▁from ▁the ▁Far ▁East ▁in ▁time ▁for ▁the ▁counter off ensive ▁around ▁Moscow . ▁ ▁By ▁September ▁ 1 9 4 1 , ▁Phil by ▁began ▁working ▁for ▁Section ▁Five ▁of ▁M I 6 , ▁a ▁section ▁responsible ▁for ▁off ensive ▁counter - int elligence . ▁On ▁the ▁strength ▁of ▁his ▁knowledge ▁and ▁experience ▁of ▁Franco ' s ▁Spain , ▁Phil by ▁was ▁put ▁in ▁charge ▁of ▁the ▁sub section ▁which ▁de alt ▁with ▁Spain ▁and ▁Portugal . ▁This ▁ent a iled ▁responsibility ▁for ▁a ▁network ▁of ▁under cover ▁oper atives ▁in ▁several ▁cities ▁such ▁as ▁Madrid , ▁Lis bon , ▁Gib ral tar ▁and ▁Tang ier . ▁At ▁this ▁time , ▁the ▁German ▁Ab wehr ▁was ▁active ▁in ▁Spain , ▁particularly ▁around ▁the ▁British ▁naval ▁base ▁of ▁Gib ral tar , ▁which ▁its ▁agents ▁hoped ▁to ▁watch ▁with ▁many