A Foreign Agent in Plain Sight: How Russia Conducts Its Influence Operations in the U.S.

The Case of Nomma Zarubina

July 2018: Nomma Zarubina and Russian Ambassador to the United States Antonov. Source: Instagram

On November 21, 2024, Nomma “Alyssa” Zarubina was arrested by the FBI, and accused of having ties to Russian intelligence operations. While the FBI claims her recruitment began in 2020, evidence suggests that her connections may be traced back much earlier, possibly originating during her university years in Russia.

Zarubina, born and raised in Tomsk, Russia, has been accused of providing false testimony to FBI agents, with the complaint exposing her interactions with Russian special services. She was arrested in New York on November 21, 2024, and was released on bail the same day.

A closer examination of her journey to the U.S. reveals a concerning pattern. Zarubina’s extensive global travel, loyalty to Russia, and repeated visits and events with the Russian consulate in New York City, the Russian Mission at the UN, and the Russian embassy in Washington, D.C. should have raised red flags much earlier.

After her arrest, Zarubina posted a cryptic message on Facebook, warning that she could no longer communicate with foreign officials. The message, though vague, was a warning to Russian officials not to contact her:
“For the next year, perhaps, I will be physically only inside NYC, without the right to respond to ANY foreign officials (non-Americans) on any messages. So if you are the mayor of some small town in Congo – then I do not ignore you. It is simply impossible 🙃.”
The random mention of Congo raises further questions about what she was communicating.

This week, Zarubina spoke with Verstka, an independent Russian media outlet, and confirmed some of the details in the FBI complaint and added this statement:

"When the FSB calls, you can't refuse," says Zarubina. "It's not a question [sounds like], it's more like an order. You just have to show up <…>. I can't tell you [how I was recruited], because the information about the special services is between me and the American special services."

Zarubina’s background also warrants scrutiny. How did a person who began her social media presence with provocative posts, including racy photos in lingerie, manage to travel to 15 countries while pursuing a master’s degree at the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), and a decade later, secure a fellowship at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C.?

Key Findings

1. Roots in Russia and Academic Path: Zarubina grew up in Tomsk, a regional city in Siberia, and later attended St. Petersburg State University. From 2013 to 2016, she enrolled at the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA). While at RANEPA, she traveled extensively, visiting 15 countries by 2016 before permanently settling in the U.S.

2. Early Indications of Recruitment: During her time in St. Petersburg, Zarubina posted a curious message on VKontakte, Russia's largest social media platform, declaring: “Ok, Congratulate me: defender of the Motherland and its men.”

According to her other VK post her college coursework included management of ethnopolitical conflicts, management in risk environments, conflictology, and military preparation. These posts may hint at recruitment while she was attending St. Petersburg State University.

3. Arrival in the U.S.: Zarubina received a U.S. visa in January 2015 and moved permanently to New York in March of the same year. Once settled, she got married and began establishing contacts with the Russian Embassy and Consulate while working at the Russian Center New York (RCNY). She regularly visited the Russian Consulate in New York, the Russian Embassy in Washington, D.C., and the Russian Mission at the United Nations.

4. Pro-Trump Social Media Activity and Ties to Far-Right Figures: Upon settling in the U.S., Zarubina's social media accounts became a platform for her vocal support of Donald Trump. During the 2016, 2020, and 2024 U.S. presidential elections, she consistently posted photos showcasing Trump memorabilia, including campaign hats and shirts. This public support was not limited to Trump; Zarubina also expressed admiration for Marine Le Pen, the far-right French politician with known pro-Kremlin views and financing, and support to Nigel Farage, a pro-Russian British right-wing populist, during Brexit.

5. Activity in U.S.-Russia Circles: In 2022, Zarubina suddenly shifted loyalties to Russia and positioned herself as an influential figure in U.S.-based Russian activist and academic circles. She cultivated relationships with dozens of Russian activists and U.S. experts on Russia. During this time, she also received a fellowship with the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), further embedding herself in key U.S. policy and research networks.

The Early Years and Academic Path

Nomma Zarubina, 34, was born in Tomsk, Russia. Her father, Alexander Zarubin, an entrepreneur and owner of a furniture business, was also a co-founder of a parish at in Tomsk. Earlier this year, he attended an event organized by Konstantin Malofeev—a Russian oligarch sanctioned by both the EU and the US, he is one of the most vocal Russian imperialists with close ties to Putin. He is known for carrying out operations abroad to support far-right political parties and politicians.

Zarubina's mother, Irina Rymanova, works as a teacher at Tomsk Polytechnic University, specializing in educational and methodological work. She also holds the position of Senior Lecturer and Teacher-Researcher in the Department of Foreign Languages.

Zarubina’s academic journey began at St. Petersburg State University, where she became active on social media. In 2010, Zarubina's VKontakte expressed excitement over Alexander Dugin, a prominent Russian extremist ideologue known for his far-right and pro-Kremlin views.

Dugin’s ideology of Eurasianism has significantly influenced Kremlin foreign policy, particularly its efforts to subvert Western democracies. Dugin is also known for stirring violent protests in the West, promoting unrest and destabilization in countries that oppose Russia's geopolitical ambitions.

In 2012, while studying at St. Petersburg State University, she posted a curious message on VKontakte, one of Russia's largest social media platforms, declaring: “Ok, Congratulate me: defender of the Motherland and its men.”

That post followed Zarubina sharing her coursework at St. Petersburg State University. Photos of her timetable include courses in the management of ethnopolitical conflicts, the historiography of the Russian Orthodox Church, conflictology, religion and politics, management under risk conditions, Bible as historical memory, unspecified specialist courses, and military coursework (voennaya kafedra). St. Petersburg State University is no stranger to training spies and notable alumni include Felix Dzerzhinsky, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Ivanov, Igor Sechin, and others.

After completing her undergraduate studies, she attended the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA) in Moscow, an institution known for producing political, national security, and economic elites. It was during her time at RANEPA that her extensive travels began. According to her social media posts on VKontakte, Facebook, and Instagram, in 2014 while studying for her masters, she traveled to Egypt, Jordan, Israel, Ukraine, and several European nations. Around the same time, she began posting provocative pictures in lingerie.

Extreme pro-Russian Views

Zarubina’s trip to Kyiv in May 2014 followed her VK posts expressing support for the actions of Russia, anti-Ukrainian and anti-Western propaganda, and extreme conservative ultrapatriotic views even by Russian standards. For instance, in a VK post from March 2014, she posted memes depicting Ukrainian Cossacks as clowns, American servicemen as gay, and Russian soldiers as protectors of children.

In a different post earlier the same year, she reposted a meme with a Winter Olympics medal count table putting Russia ahead of “The Rotten West” (US), “We fought against these people” (Germany), and “Someone else, who cares…” (Canada). Zarubina also frequently reposted Dugin on her VK profile. In a January 2014 VK post she stated that “one could listen to Alexander Dugin endlessly.”

Zarubina’s early VK posts vividly demonstrate her allegiance. In a fashion characteristic to contemporary Russian ethnofascists, Zarubina expressed adoration for many seemingly conflicting ideas - strong schizonostalgic views for the Soviet Union, adoration for modern foreign and domestic fascists, love for the Russian (russkie) people and culture, and Russian Orthodox Imperial traditionalism. In her later social media posts on VK, Instagram, and Facebook she became more cautious but an occasional post would still express love for Russia, disdain for the West and Western sanctions, and support for President Putin (“#mypresident”).

Zarubina’s later, pre-full scale invasion of Ukraine social media posts, became more tame. However, some occasional posts might indicate her direct involvement with Russian influence operations in the U.S. For instance, in a September 2021 Facebook post, while in Russia, she celebrated “the first snow, Siberia” with a paper titled “Deepfakes and the New Disinformation War: The Coming Age of Post-Truth Geopolitics” in the background of the accompanying photo.

The same month, while in Russia, Zarubina posted another photo on Facebook featuring a pen branded with the Russian Consulate in New York. In the background, handwritten notes included phrases like “Dictator such as Putin” in quotation marks and “The overmilitarization of Foreign Policy.”

Immigration to the U.S.

In January 2015, Zarubina received a U.S. visa and relocated to New York in March of the same year. Once settled in the U.S., she quickly became active in both social and political spheres, making frequent visits to the Russian consulate and maintaining close ties with Russian diplomatic missions.

Shortly after arriving in New York, Zarubina met her future husband, Levon Meliksetov, and they married in March 2016. During her initial time in the U.S., Zarubina frequently traveled between states, including Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Nevada. Her travels also took her abroad, with trips to Barcelona, Italy, and Russia. In December 2019 Zarubina was admitted to the Marxe School of Public and International Affairs of Baruch College. Throughout her marriage, Zarubina further strengthened her ties within Russian diplomatic and political circles in the U.S. She attended numerous events hosted by Russian diplomatic missions, including those at the Russian embassy in Washington, D.C., and the consulate in New York City.

Starting from 2016 Zarubina expressed support for Trump on social media and attended pro-Trump events in New York. She also expressed admiration for European far-right politicians, France’s Marine Le Pen and UK’s Nigel Farage.

Zarubina and Elena Branson

From 2016 to 2020, Zarubina worked for the Russian Center New York (RCNY), an organization led by Elena Branson, a dual Russian-U.S. citizen who operated as an unregistered agent of the Russian government. Branson, who incorporated RCNY in 2012 with approval from high-ranking Russian officials, received substantial funding from the Russian government to advance its interests in the U.S. This included hosting events such as an annual youth forum funded by the Moscow government, aimed at strengthening the Russian-speaking youth community. Despite the financial backing and direction from the Russian government, Branson worked to conceal these ties to avoid the legal requirements of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). Over time, Branson and Zarubina developed a close relationship, with Branson even becoming the godmother to Zarubina's daughter—a connection that eventually drew the attention of U.S. authorities.

In addition to her work with RCNY, Branson served as the chairperson of the Russian Community Council of the USA (KSORS), which was partly funded by Russian government entities. KSORS coordinated the “I Love Russia” campaign and hosted youth forums to promote Russian culture and history to American youth. Branson used KSORS’s platform to disseminate messages from the Russian Embassy and organized events sanctioned by the Russian Ambassador to the United States. Seeking financial support from a Moscow government official, Branson reported that KSORS’s website aimed to promote a positive image of Russia and Moscow among Americans.

Zarubina also worked with Branson at the Russian Community Council of the USA (KSORS). At a 2018 VI Forum of Compatriots of the USA, a series of proposals were adopted, reflecting the influence of Russian government initiatives. These included expressing gratitude to Russian entities such as the Russian Embassy in the U.S., Rossotrudnichestvo, and the Moscow House of Compatriots for their support. Plans were also made to strengthen ties between Russian and American universities, promote Russian language study in U.S. schools, and organize youth events such as rallies and forums for Russian-speaking communities. Zarubina, working alongside others like Sergey Gladysh and Eduard Lozansky, was named responsible for the organization of the National Unity Day event “We are Together.”

FBI Charges Against Elena Branson

In September 2020, Elena Branson became the target of a federal investigation when the FBI accused her of acting as an unregistered agent of the Russian government. The DOJ indictment alleged that Branson, a dual Russian and U.S. citizen, had been receiving assignments and funding from high-ranking Russian officials while deliberately evading registration under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) for nearly a decade. According to the indictment, Branson’s activities included organizing meetings between Russian officials and U.S. political figures, as well as operating organizations that worked to promote Russian government policies. Despite her clear violations, Branson had never registered her activities with the U.S. Attorney General as required by law. Following these charges, Branson fled to Russia, where she later became a prominent pro-Kremlin TV personality.

Zarubina’s connection to Branson raised questions, leading to increased scrutiny of her activities. Moreover, the connection between the two is more than professional - according to the leaked sealed complaint, Branson is the godmother of Zarubina’s daughter.

Sudden Shift: From Pro-Russia to Infiltrating Russian Dissident and Kremlin Critic Circles

Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Zarubina abruptly shifted her stance, publicly criticizing the Kremlin and suspending her work with the Russian Center New York (RCNY). This change in rhetoric allowed her to infiltrate Russian dissident events and American political circles under the guise of a vocal critic. She attended several events organized by the Free Nations of Post-Russia Forum and secured a fellowship with the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Additionally, Zarubina posed as an expert on Russian decolonization, particularly from Siberia, gaining access to academic circles. Her social media showcased numerous photos of her engaging with U.S. policymakers, Russia experts, think tank professionals, former U.S. military personnel, and diplomats, including Bill Burns, who would later become the CIA Director.

As set forth in the complaint, in or around December 2020, NOMMA ZARUBINA, a/k/a “Alyssa,” met with FSB Officer-1 in Russia and signed an agreement to help the FSB with “network marketing” in the United States. During this meeting, ZARUBINA was assigned the codename “Alyssa” for use in internal FSB documents. After this meeting, ZARUBINA maintained regular contact with FSB Officer-1 until at least 2022. According to the complaint, ZARUBINA was tasked by FSB Officer-1 to identify and develop potential contacts within the United States, including journalists and members of news outlets and think tanks. In line with these instructions, ZARUBINA attended seminars, forums, and conventions frequented by prominent members of academia, foreign policy, the U.S. government, and the media, with the goal of cultivating relationships in the U.S. and beyond. During the time period when Zarubina made her sudden shift from supporting Russian interests to criticizing the Kremlin, these were the instructions she was reportedly receiving from the FSB.

Admissions of Ties to Russian Intelligence and Diplomatic Contacts

After multiple interviews with the FBI, in August 2022, Zarubina first admitted to being in a “close personal relationship” with a Russian diplomat at the UN (“Representative-1”) and to being in regular contact with Rossotrudnichestvo, an organization subordinate to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and a known front for Russian intelligence services. In September 2023, Zarubina told the FBI she had been in contact with an FSB Lieutenant Colonel (“FSB Officer-2” in the sealed complaint) with whom she attended university. During a June 2024 interview, Zarubina further disclosed that a Tomsk FSB officer (“FSB Officer-1” in the sealed complaint), who had interviewed her during her return trip to Russia from the U.S. in December 2022, wanted to “map out” her U.S. network. Zarubina admitted to signing “an agreement to help the FSB with network marketing,” at which point the codename “Alyssa” was assigned to her.

Conclusion

Nomma Zarubina’s story serves as a cautionary tale of how Russian intelligence operations can adapt and infiltrate even the most reputable institutions. Whether her story will unravel in dramatic fashion like those of Maria Butina, Elena Branson, or Anna Chapman remains to be seen. For now, we must rely on details provided by the FBI and open-source investigations. Yet, the lesson is clear: Western organizations repeatedly fall prey to Russian agents of influence, exposing vulnerabilities in due diligence processes. Zarubina’s case highlights a critical failure—an hour-long review of her social media could have revealed red flags about her loyalties and political leanings, potentially saving the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and others from reputational damage.

---

To stay informed on investigations like this, subscribe to our Malign Influence Operations investigative newsletter—free or paid—as we launch an in-depth outlet covering stories of espionage, subversion, and influence operations.