Vladimir Vetrov
| Born | Vladimir Ippolitovich Vetrov 10 October 1932 |
|---|---|
| Died | 23 January 1985 (aged 52) Moscow, Soviet Union |
| Cause of death | Execution |
| Nationality | USSR |
| Espionage activity | |
| Allegiance | Soviet Union France |
| Service branch | KGB, DST |
| Rank | Lieutenant Colonel |
| Codename | Farewell |
| Operations | Farewell Dossier |
| Other work | Double agent |
Vladimir Ippolitovich Vetrov (Russian: Владимир Ипполитович Ветров; 10 October 1932 – 23 January 1985) was a high-ranking KGB spy during the Cold War who decided to covertly release valuable information to France and NATO on the Soviet Union's clandestine program aimed at stealing technology from the West.
Vetrov was assigned the code-name Farewell by the French intelligence service DST, which recruited him. He was known by that name throughout NATO's intelligence services. The code-name was chosen as an English word, so that the KGB would assume he worked for the CIA if it learned his codename.
His history inspired the book Bonjour Farewell: La Vérité sur la Taupe Française du KGB (1997) by Sergei Kostin. It was loosely adapted for the French film L'affaire Farewell (2009), starring Emir Kusturica, Guillaume Canet and Alexandra Maria Lara.
Authors Sergei Kostin and Eric Raynaud have published a more complete and updated account of the Farewell dossier under the title Adieu Farewell (Laffont, Paris, 2009). This title became available in English for the first time in 2011, some thirty years after the events.