Russian author Genrikh Borovik publishes The Philby Files: The Secret Life of Kim Philby. The book contains an interview in which Philby speaks glowingly of Sorge and his Spy Ring. Philby states that Sorge, in an "unbelievably complex situation... operated impeccably." Philby continued: "I'm not at all an 'impeccable' or 'fearless' agent. I had many weaknesses." Borovik's book on Philby began because of an old favor. At the suggestion of novelist Graham Greene, Borovik, looking for a book topic, asked the KGB for access to Philby's file. In the 1960s Borovik had written a novel that was killed by the KGB. In the era of glasnost, he wanted to write about a real Soviet spy, he reminded the KGB about its past error, and they introduced him to Philby and eventually gave him access to his file. Borovik would later say about Philby's file "Thank God Philby himself never saw his KGB file. If he hadn't died of illness, it would have killed him." The KGB had not recruited Philby with grand plans in mind. Rather, the KGB was mistakenly convinced that Philby' s father was in British intelligence. (Borovik, p.189; Knightley, A Hack's Progress, pp.232-33)

The French Newspaper Le Figaro calls Richard Sorge "Stalin's James Bond" in a half-page article on the 50th anniversary of his hanging. This article is inspired by Franz Olivier Giesbert, Editor-in-Chief of Le Figaro, and a follower of the Sorge legend.