Ex-spy shot to death in Moscow

The former Jewish spy Shabtai von Kalmanovic was killed in his car yesterday in Moscow not far from Russian Prime Minister Putin’s office.

A triple citizen of Israel, Russia and Lithuania, Kalmanovic spied for the KGB and was imprisoned in Israel for five years – 1988 to 1993 – for sharing classified Israeli military technology with the Russians.

Over twenty shots were fired at Kalmanovic’s Mercedes from a silvery-colored Lada, and even though Kalmanovic’s driver attempted to follow the perpertrators, he was too wounded himself to get very far.

It is believed that the attack was a contract killing over a business deal gone awry, though the exact reason behind it is still unknown.

When the former spy was released from prison in Israel, he started organizing big name concerts in Moscow – Michael Jackson, Liza Minnelli, Tom Jones – and financially supporting basketball teams in Lithuania and Russia, helping them to win the coveted Euroleague title.

Contract killings of the type to which Kalmanovic was allegedly victim used to be more frequent in Russia than they are today, but they are far from disappearing.