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SpyCast

SpyCast
CIA
Espionage
Russia
China
FBI
Ukraine
National Security
Counterintelligence
Cybersecurity
World War II
Cold War
NATO
United States
Iran
Afghanistan
Artificial Intelligence
Intelligence Community
James Bond
Egypt
President's Daily Brief

SpyCast, the official podcast of the International Spy Museum, is a journey into the shadows of international espionage. Each week, host Sasha Ingber brings you the latest insights and intriguing tales from spies, secret agents, and covert communicators, with a focus on how this secret world reaches us all in our everyday lives. Tune in to discover the critical role intelligence has played through... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes767Founded20 years ago
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Latest Episodes

The Kremlin is not a fan of Alex Goldfarb. He left the Soviet Union as a scientist, becoming a prominent author and human rights activist. In 2006, he was in the room with ex-FSB officer Alexander Litvinenko, reading his dying words, which accused Vl... more

Correction: At 3:27, Bojan Pancevski refers to the “Danish” military intelligence agency. He meant the Dutch military intelligence agency, which picked up the intelligence and passed it to the CIA.

The trial of a former Ukrainian special forces offi... more

YouTube

In the spring of 1944, three elite commandos parachuted into Hungary. The country was aligned with Nazi Germany, and these men intended to be captured in what was meant to look like a failed operation. Their real mission was to help Hungary switch to... more

YouTube

It was preparation for an invasion that might never come, and never did. Across Cold War Europe, stay-behind networks were established on the premise that Soviet forces might successfully invade and occupy sovereign territory. These clandestine organ... more

YouTube

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Recent Guests

Alex Goldfarb
Author, human rights activist, and former Soviet scientist
Episode: Unraveling a Secret KGB Investigation That Separated a Father and Son
Bojan Pancevski
The Wall Street Journal's chief European political correspondent and author of The Nord Stream Conspiracy.
The Wall Street Journal
Episode: Ukraine’s Nord Stream Attack: Underwater Sabotage and Its Fallout
Jason Bell
Author of Operation Sparrow
Author, Operation Sparrow
Episode: A Plan to Be Captured: How Three American Commandos Deceived Their Nazi Captors Before D-Day
Johan Wennström
Author of The Stay Behinds, Sweden's Cold War Guardians
Author, Swedish Stay Behind research
Episode: Inside Sweden's Cold War Stay-Behind Operation
Joby Warrick
Author of The Jackal: The Rise and Fall of Carlos, the World's First Super Terrorist
Author, Journalist
Episode: How the CIA Captured Carlos the Jackal
Jack Cheevers
Author of Kennedy's Coup, expert on the Diem era and the 1963 coup
Author
Episode: A House Divided: The CIA, State, and a Coup in South Vietnam
Justin Sapp
Retired Colonel, green beret detailed to the CIA after 9/11
CIA/Team Alpha
Episode: 25 Years After 9/11: The CIA's First Moments Behind Enemy Lines in Afghanistan
Jenny Chan
Co-founder of Pacific Atrocities Education
Pacific Atrocities Education
Episode: Japanese Surveillance, Enslavement, and Experimentation in Wartime China
Katie Sanders
Journalist and co-author of Ortiz's War
Writer for Ortiz's War
Episode: Peter Ortiz: The WWII Marine Who Foreshadowed Modern-Day Special Forces

Hosts

Sasha Ingber
Host of SpyCast; affiliated with International Spy Museum
Dr. Mark Jacobson
Host of SpyCast; affiliated with International Spy Museum

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 2.5k ratings
  • Brilliant

    There are any one of a number of podcasts devoted to espionage and intelligence and spying. This is the best and Sasha Ingber continues the tradition.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Ziusudra
    United States2 months ago
  • The new host is more polished but I miss Andrew.

    The new host is more polished but I miss Andrew.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    DWLNO60
    Canada4 months ago
  • Interesting But Not Brilliant

    Interesting topics but Sasha Ingber should learn to properly pronounce some names. Richard Sorge’s name is pronounced with a hard g. Also, does Palmer Luckey really think the past tense of drag is drug? Home schooling, eh?

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    VampireDugout
    Canada5 months ago
  • Embarrassing how far it has fallen

    This was the real deal under previous hosts, especially Dr. Hammond - now it’s kinda embarrassing for the Spy Museum. Clearly no one really knows what they are doing.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    JoeFalcon11
    United States7 months ago
  • Mike

    I enjoy all of your stories! Thank you !

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    fred436798
    United States9 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Some reviews note a decline in depth or bias after a host change.
Audience often cites variety of expert guests and archival insights.
Listeners praise in-depth guest conversations and high production quality.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#123
United States/History
Apple Podcasts
#152
United Kingdom/History
Apple Podcasts
#179
Canada/History
Apple Podcasts
#111
Australia/History
Apple Podcasts
#210
Germany/History
Apple Podcasts
#45
Philippines/History

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Ukraine’s Nord Stream Attack: Underwater Sabotage and Its Fallout
Q: When it comes to the captain Serhii K, he has been charged with war crimes. Was that purposeful on the part of the Germans, a strategy for them, or do they truly see this as a war crime?
Pancevski says prosecutors added the charge after the defense argued that Serhii K. was a serving combatant entitled to functional immunity. Prosecutors argue the pipeline was a strategic German asset, making its destruction an illegitimate military operation. He describes the charge as severe and controversial.
Ukraine’s Nord Stream Attack: Underwater Sabotage and Its Fallout
Q: There is this massive explosion at the world's longest gas pipeline. Take us to what happened that day.
A European early-warning system detected a powerful disturbance near Bornholm that proved to be an explosion. Danish fighter jets observed enormous bubbles as gas escaped from the pipeline.
Unraveling a Secret KGB Investigation That Separated a Father and Son
Q: Can you tell us about that letter and how this unfolded?
Alex recounts how journalist Nick Daniloff received a letter containing technical notes, then became compromised after the CIA mistakenly contacted a KGB informer believed to be a source. The KGB later used the CIA's message as evidence against Daniloff.
Unraveling a Secret KGB Investigation That Separated a Father and Son
Q: Why did you decide to leave the Soviet Union?
Alex describes a liberal family background, his grandfather's imprisonment under Stalin, and a romantic conflict involving a powerful Soviet scientific official. He and his future wife sought to leave and eventually received permission after initially being refused.
A Plan to Be Captured: How Three American Commandos Deceived Their Nazi Captors Before D-Day
Q: What exactly was the plan and who was in on it?
Three Americans would be dropped behind enemy lines, surrender to Hungarian authorities, then be used to feed disinformation to German intelligence while protected by Hungarian officials and turned over through a controlled chain of custody into a setup that would mislead the Germans about invasion plans.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Gender Skew
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Frequently Asked Questions About SpyCast

What is SpyCast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

SpyCast offers in-depth conversations with former spies, historians, journalists, and current and former security professionals about intelligence history, espionage tradecraft, and contemporary covert operations. Recent episodes center on Cuban intelligence, Cold War propaganda, high-profile counterintelligence cases, cyber espionage, and dramatic insider-defection stories, providing granular operational detail and human-centered storytelling. The show often blends archival context with current implications for national security, making it a compelling listen for professionals in security, policy, and research who want thoughtful, widely sourced perspectives on intelligence history and practice.

Where can I find podcast stats for SpyCast?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for SpyCast. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to SpyCast and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does SpyCast get?

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What are the audience demographics for SpyCast?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for SpyCast, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does SpyCast have?

To see how many followers or subscribers SpyCast has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

How many episodes of SpyCast are there?

SpyCast launched 20 years ago and published 767 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact SpyCast?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for SpyCast?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for SpyCast from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

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How do I access podcast episode transcripts for SpyCast?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of SpyCast. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on SpyCast?

Recent guests on SpyCast include:

1. Alex Goldfarb
2. Bojan Pancevski
3. Jason Bell
4. Johan Wennström
5. Joby Warrick
6. Jack Cheevers
7. Justin Sapp
8. Jenny Chan

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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