Roza describes a two-month surveillance operation that mapped a target's movements, preferences, and romantic history. Her team then staged recurring couples at places he visited, progressing from young romance to pregnancy and a baby, in an attempt to trigger an unconscious picture of the family life he had lost. The account is presented as an example of deceptive environmental manipulation, not a recommendation.

The team observed the target around the clock for roughly two months
They researched his private history and an early heartbreak
Staged couples appeared repeatedly in his peripheral environment
The scenes progressed through successive stages of family life
Roza calls the technique environment manipulation

“Nabludeniye when you're spying on someone 24/7. So you're basically spy on everything the target does.”
Aliia Roza · 12:30

“it wasn't like a particular name or something. It would be just like environment manipulation.”
Aliia Roza · 18:00

#espionage#manipulation#surveillance#psychology

Explainer1:17:30

How Roza Earns Today—and Why Russian Rent Is Stranded

Roza says coaching and occasional Instagram promotions or fashion endorsements provide most of her accessible income. She previously supplemented that with events and rent from Russian properties. Following Russia's removal from SWIFT and tighter platform access, she says she can no longer move the rental income out of the country.

Coaching is her primary stated source of accessible income
Promotions and endorsements provide occasional revenue
Russian property rent previously covered basic living costs
Banking restrictions now prevent her from accessing that money abroad

“I do make money uh mostly I would say on uh coaching.”
Aliia Roza · 1:18:00

“I cannot basically get money out of Russia. So, they basically stored there.”
Aliia Roza · 1:19:30

#coaching#income#russia#banking

Story· 5

Story22:00

The Corruption File Roza Traded for Her Freedom

Roza says her last operation exposed a corruption network involving commanders and criminal money. She withheld the evidence, confronted a senior general whose name appeared in it, and demanded freedom rather than rank, salary, housing, or holidays. She says an appeal involving his daughters helped secure permission to leave immediately.

The operation allegedly revealed bribery among officials
Roza retained the evidence during a deadly internal conflict
A senior general offered incentives for her to remain
She asked to leave rather than accept advancement
She was told to exit the country as soon as possible

“I collected a lot of secret information, the information which is basically revealing the whole corruption system on my commanders that time.”
Aliia Roza · 25:00

“Do you want it or I can show it to someone else.”
Aliia Roza · 26:30

#corruption#espionage#negotiation#freedom

Story39:00

The Suspicious Death Behind Roza's Final Exit From Russia

Roza recounts the sudden death of her son's father after an encounter with two men and says doctors reported poisoning before a delayed autopsy attributed it to a heart attack. She connects the death to a dispute over valuable property the Russian government wanted returned before the Sochi Olympics. These are Roza's allegations and interpretation; the transcript does not independently verify them.

Roza says surveillance footage showed two men approach her partner
He died within roughly an hour after reaching hospital
A delayed autopsy reportedly attributed the death to a heart attack
She links the conflict to privatized land and government pressure
An FSB summons prompted her to leave Russia permanently

“I left him just for 1 hour and when I came back I saw on the cameras after like all this happened, I saw on…”
Aliia Roza · 39:30

“obviously I understood that if I would come there I would never leave.”
Aliia Roza · 42:30

#russia#oligarchs#sochi#alleged-poisoning

Story46:00

Why Roza Says Every Boyfriend Became a Husband

Roza says she married five times, with marriages lasting from roughly six months to four years. She attributes the pattern partly to being unable to refuse proposals when partners fell in love. She also says she remains friendly with most of her former husbands.

Roza reports having married five times
Her longest marriage lasted about four years
Her shortest lasted about six months
She says difficulty saying no contributed to the pattern
She remains in contact with most former husbands

“every single time I would go and date someone and then they would fall in love and at some point with all these like relatives…”
Aliia Roza · 46:00

“Five times.”
Aliia Roza · 46:30

#marriage#relationships#boundaries

Story54:30

From Military Trauma to Fashion Events and Buckingham Palace

Roza describes education as her central achievement and says a London master's degree in branding, marketing, and PR opened a path into fashion and charitable events. She built a women's social club around luxury-brand-sponsored events that donated a share of purchases to charity. The work eventually led to an invitation to Buckingham Palace, where she met Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles.

Roza repeatedly pursued universities, programs, and languages
She earned a master's degree in branding, marketing, and PR
She organized charity events backed by luxury sponsors
Her women's club combined social connection, commerce, and giving
She describes meeting the British royal family as a milestone

“I always wanted to work in fashion and I never had a chance.”
Aliia Roza · 56:30

“now you're standing with King Charles and shaking his hand like how amazing life is this is incredible.”
Aliia Roza · 59:00

#reinvention#education#fashion#charity

Story1:31:30

The Short “No” Roza Calls Her Turning Point

Roza describes one refusal to a commander as the moment she began defending her own boundaries after earlier abuse. She emphasizes that the refusal was direct, strong, and brief, even though she says it brought severe retaliation and a dangerous mission. For her, the cost did not erase the importance of reclaiming agency over her body and life.

Roza says earlier abuse left her unable to refuse
A direct no marked a change in how she defended herself
She says the refusal led to retaliation and danger
She still regards it as formative
The broader message is personal agency over body and choices

“That's it. Like it was just straight, strong, short no. And from that moment, I started to stand for myself.”
Aliia Roza · 1:32:30

“this no made me who I am today.”
Aliia Roza · 1:33:30

#boundaries#agency#abuse#courage

Q&A· 2

Q&A1:01:30

Why Roza Waited Years Before Telling Her Story

Asked why she did not write a book earlier, Roza says she lacked the power and certainty to share her past safely. As a single parent, she feared what exposure could mean for her young son. Now that he is 14 and she believes he can cope independently, she feels more able to speak publicly.

Roza says she never initially wanted to share her past
Her son's age and dependence were central safety concerns
She waited until she believed he was mentally prepared
Readiness, not simply elapsed time, changed her decision

“I wasn't sure that would be the right thing to share what I'm sharing right now and I think like I didn't have power enough…”
Aliia Roza · 1:03:00

“My son was too young. I I was only one parent. I was scared for him.”
Aliia Roza · 1:03:00

#parenthood#risk#storytelling#readiness

Q&A1:05:00

How Roza Responds to Skeptics of Her Spy Story

Roza says journalists regularly ask her for evidence because her story sounds extraordinary. She says she privately shows birth, archive, education, and employment documents plus photographs, while withholding details that could identify relatives still living in Russia. She accepts that some people will remain unconvinced and says persuasion is not the sole purpose of telling her story.

Journalists ask Roza to substantiate her account
She says she provides documents and photographs privately
She withholds identifying details to protect family safety
She does not expect every skeptic to be persuaded

“I always provide my documentation my archive um certificates my um archive documents where I studied I worked there and everything.”
Aliia Roza · 1:06:00

“what can I do? You don't believe it you don't believe it.”
Aliia Roza · 1:06:30

#evidence#skepticism#privacy#journalism

Takeaway· 2

Takeaway59:30

Roza Refuses to Let Past Trauma Occupy Her Present

Roza says moving forward requires leaving past trauma in the past rather than allowing it to define the present or future. She does not deny that the experiences were traumatic; instead, she frames her choice as protecting her current capacity for happiness, openness, and experience. Cohen connects that stance to resilience after repeated falls.

Past events need not define current identity
Acknowledging trauma is different from carrying it into every present moment
Roza prioritizes her present ability to feel and live
Cohen frames resilience as repeatedly getting back up

“I'm not willing to bring that trauma into my present because I want to be happy now and I want to live my life now…”
Aliia Roza · 1:00:00

“whatever happened to you in the past shouldn't define your present shouldn't define your future.”
Jennifer Cohen · 1:01:00

#resilience#trauma#identity#mindset

Takeaway1:21:30

The Mission Roza Wants Beyond Her Spy Story

Roza says she wants more public-speaking and charitable work focused on sexual violence and young women in dangerous situations, including trafficking. She sees media, speaking, and products as tools for funding and spreading that mission rather than as routes to a luxury lifestyle. Her stated goal is to make her work and income support one another.

She wants to speak publicly against sexual violence
She hopes to support young women in dangerous situations
Travel and speaking are part of the intended delivery model
Products would fund expenses and extend the message
Luxury consumption is not her stated objective

“I'd like to do more like public speaking events and participate as a public speaker. That's what really makes me happy”
Aliia Roza · 1:22:00

“I'm not interested of earning money if this money will not help me to um spread the message where I'm going to”
Aliia Roza · 1:23:00

#mission#public-speaking#sexual-violence#charity

Frameworks in this episode

Goals-and-Dreams Compatibility Filter

Independent Life Foundation

Insights & moments

✶Explainer· 2

How Operatives Built a Target's Dream World Around Him