Five people, alleged to be members of a Russian spy ring trying to infiltrate the US government, have appeared in court in New York. Ten people were arrested yesterday, accused of being Russian agents. Some are said to have lived with false identities for years.

Vincent Cannistraro, a former senior CIA officer told the Today programme that he is not surprised at the revelation.

He told the Today programme that spying continues but is less sophisticated than during the Cold War. "This one looks more like industrial espionage, that level," he said.

"Building up an analytical capability for Russians that gives them a better judgment of what's going on with the political system in the United States."

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