Here is more from the Washington Post:
As graduation approached in 2020, [GRU operative Sergey] Cherkasov flooded the field with applications for internships and other positions. Among those he targeted, according to the affidavit, were the United Nations as well as “U.S. think tanks, U.S. financial institutions, a U.S. media outlet and a position in the U.S. government.”
The affidavit cites emails that Cherkasov sent describing information gleaned from advisers at think tanks, some supposedly in contact with senior Biden administration officials including Secretary of State Antony Blinken.Even from Brazil, Cherkasov continued to find ways to tap into his Washington network. In late November 2021, as Russia was massing forces on the borders of Ukraine, Cherkasov filed a series of reports to his handlers about how senior officials in Washington were interpreting Moscow’s moves.
No specific think tanks were named in the article, but over the years, numerous spies have tried to gain employment at various US think tanks.
US documents analyzed by Think Tank Watch suggest that Cherkasov was in touch with at least three different think tanks.