▁and ▁vice - cons ul ▁in ▁Ist an bul , ▁requested ▁political ▁as yl um ▁in ▁Britain ▁for ▁himself ▁and ▁his ▁wife . ▁For ▁a ▁large ▁sum ▁of ▁money , ▁Vol kov ▁offered ▁the ▁names ▁of ▁three ▁Soviet ▁agents ▁inside ▁Britain , ▁two ▁of ▁whom ▁worked ▁in ▁the ▁Foreign ▁Office ▁and ▁a ▁third ▁who ▁worked ▁in ▁counter - esp ion age ▁in ▁London . ▁Phil by ▁was ▁given ▁the ▁task ▁of ▁dealing ▁with ▁Vol kov ▁by ▁British ▁intelligence . ▁He ▁war ned ▁the ▁S ovi ets ▁of ▁the ▁attempted ▁defe ction ▁and ▁travel led ▁personally ▁to ▁Ist an bul ▁– ▁ost ens ibly ▁to ▁handle ▁the ▁matter ▁on ▁beh alf ▁of ▁S IS ▁but , ▁in ▁reality , ▁to ▁ensure ▁that ▁Vol kov ▁had ▁been ▁neutral ised . ▁By ▁the ▁time ▁he ▁arrived ▁in ▁Turkey , ▁three ▁weeks ▁later , ▁Vol kov ▁had ▁been ▁removed ▁to ▁Moscow . ▁ ▁The ▁inter vention ▁of ▁Phil by ▁in ▁the ▁affair ▁and ▁the ▁subsequent ▁capture ▁of ▁Vol kov ▁by ▁the ▁S ovi ets ▁might ▁have ▁seriously ▁comprom ised ▁Phil by ' s ▁position . ▁However , ▁Vol kov ' s ▁defe ction ▁had ▁been ▁discussed ▁with ▁the ▁British ▁Emb ass y ▁in ▁An k ara ▁on ▁tele ph ones ▁which ▁turned ▁out ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁t apped ▁by ▁Soviet ▁intelligence . ▁Additionally , ▁Vol kov ▁had ▁ins isted ▁that ▁all ▁written ▁communic ations ▁about ▁him ▁take ▁place ▁by ▁bag ▁rather ▁than ▁by ▁te legraph , ▁causing ▁a ▁delay ▁in ▁reaction ▁that ▁might ▁pla us ibly ▁have