Among European countries, Switzerland has one of the largest numbers of Russian intelligence officers under diplomatic cover.
In Geneva and Bern, of the 220 recognized persons of Russian diplomatic and consular institutions, at least a third work for the Russian special services. This is stated in the annual Swiss state security report.
It is noted that such a high performance is partly due to the role of Switzerland as a “host” of international organizations.
The report said China also has dozens of intelligence officers working under diplomatic or consular cover in Switzerland. At the same time, there are fewer of them than in Russia, because Chinese personnel often work under the guise of scientists, journalists or businessmen.
As the report says, Russia’s war against Ukraine has made it difficult for spies to operate in Europe due to sanctions and visa restrictions, as well as the expulsion of a large number of Russian diplomats. An important role was played by the cancellation of direct regular flights between the Russian Federation and Europe and the fact that the Schengen zone abolished the visa-free regime for stays of up to three months for people with citizenship of Russia. On the other hand, however, the war opened up opportunities for Russian intelligence to send more workers to Europe as “refugees”.
The Swiss intelligence services suggest that “a large number of refugees are members of the intelligence services and may travel undetected and be picked up on a temporary basis.”
The report states that it will still be difficult for the Russian Federation to work with most Western states, but the scope of espionage activities and its scope will depend on the decisions of Western governments, which may impose sanctions. .
Recall that Germany decided on the mass expulsion of employees of Russian diplomatic missions from Germany.
Source: korrespondent
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