The CIA’s Underwater Spy Device
Jun 30, 2026•Channel
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Video Overview
Video Details
Published2 weeks ago
Duration9:26
Video IDCsyQa8_9tlw
Languageen
CategoryScience & Technology
PrivacyPublic
Made for KidsNo
Video TypeRegular Video
Performance Metrics
Views17.5K
Likes927
Comments109
Engagement Rate5.92%
Likes per 100 views5.30
Comments per 1K views6.23
Video Tags
Description
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Have you ever wondered how the CIA pulled off one of the greatest espionage operations in history? In this video, we explore the true story of Operation Ivy Bells, the top-secret CIA and U.S Navy mission to locate and wiretap an underwater communication cable serving a Soviet nuclear submarine base. Discover how the operation gave the United States a decade of invaluable intelligence on Soviet nuclear capabilities, until one NSA analyst betrayed their mission, and exposed one of the most remarkable espionage stories of the Cold War.
Short on time? Feel free to use the chapter links below to skip ahead in this video.
00:00 The Greatest Spy Mission Ever
00:45 What is Operation Ivy Bells?
02:05 Finding the Soviet Cable
03:03 How the Spy Device Worked
03:35 Decoding Soviet Communications
05:43 The Wiretap Goes Silent
06:20 Who was the Mole?
08:01 KGB Defection
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References:
https://primalnebula.com/the-cias-underwater-spy-device/
Script: Ewan Cunningham
Animation: Guillaume Bouché, Ewan Cunningham
Narrator: Beau Stucki
Music used in this video is licensed from Artlist and Epidemic Sound.
#OperationIvyBells #ColdWar #Espionage