 He said the story about the plans being leaked to Soviet spy Nikolai Kuznetsov by an SS "Sturmbannführer" named Hans Ulrich von Ortel was a complete Soviet invention; Hans Ulrich von Ortel never existed.Skorzeny claimed his name was used only to add credibility to the story because the NKVD knew his renowned record as an SS commando would make the existence of such an operation more plausible.In early 1944, "Sonderverband z.b.V.