exclusive
European countries have expelled almost 500 Russian spies. Four consulates were closed in Germany. But Russia is said to have repositioned itself and is relying, among other things, on modern technology and “traveling agents”.
A few antennas and satellite dishes – but several are obviously no longer functional. Some of the technology that can be seen on the roof of the Russian Consulate General in Bonn looks pretty worn out. However, the various opaque structures on the roofs of the building complex could be much more important for Russia: According to security circles, state-of-the-art communication and spying technology is hidden behind them.
These comprehensively installed facilities are said to be an important reason why the Russian leadership is sticking with the Bonn location. After Russia limited the total German representation to 350 people – diplomats, teachers, employees at foundations – in 2023, the federal government ordered the closure of consulates. The Putin regime decided to only operate the embassy in Berlin and the consulate general in Bonn. This has consequences for consular work – but also for espionage.
According to information from WDR, NDR and “Süddeutscher Zeitung”, the work of the Russian secret services has changed since the start of the war of aggression against Ukraine. The expulsion of dozens of spies accredited as diplomats dealt Moscow a blow. But Russia is said to have repositioned itself, as research in security circles revealed.
Remaining staff in view?
According to the research, around 20 spies are still accredited as diplomats in this country. However, this is no longer sufficient for carrying out complex operations – also because the German security authorities believe that they have a very good eye on these remaining personnel.
Spies disguised as diplomats have always been the focus of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution. Their diplomatic status largely protects them from prosecution and they are traditionally used to recruit sources to obtain information. German counterintelligence estimates that up to a third of Russia’s diplomatic staff are actually agents.
Until Russia’s attack on Ukraine, German politicians shied away from taking tough action against its spy troops. Diplomatic relations should not be strained. It was known that Russia would subsequently expel an equal number of diplomatic staff.
Russian diplomats expelled
However, this reluctance has been shed: Germany expelled a total of 40 Russian diplomats in April 2022. The following year there were another 30 – including apparently almost the entire technical staff, as in many other European countries. Within a few days they were on their way home by plane.
Things were similar in other countries: After the expulsion of almost 500 spies in the last two years, there is not much left of the Europe-wide spy network in embassies and consulates that has been maintained for decades.
In part, Russia is trying to replace the expelled personnel in Europe – for example with spies who were previously deployed at embassies in Africa. The Dutch domestic intelligence service also recently warned that agents with fake biographies are being infiltrated disguised as businessmen.
At the same time, Russia is relying on countries with friendly governments such as Hungary and Serbia. But Russian spies are also said to be more active in Turkey, Dubai and North Africa. The Putin regime is also suspected of working with organized crime.
“More robust gait”
Since the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022, Moscow has also adopted a “more robust approach” – at least that’s how the Office for the Protection of the Constitution describes it. This means that people are more likely to be caught and the operations are more unscrupulous. This is, for example, the publication of the intercepted conversation about the so-called “Taurus Leak” in order to drive a wedge into the West.
News websites are spoofed to launch widespread disinformation campaigns. In Poland and the Czech Republic, networks for political influence have recently become known – allegedly including bribe payments to politicians. Jan Marsalek, a former high-ranking DAX manager, apparently runs a Europe-wide network of agents.
Belgium cracks down on espionage
The consulate general in Bonn could obviously play a special role for Russian espionage: a large part of the Ministry of Defense is still based on the Hardthöhe. There are also many international organizations in the former federal capital whose work is of interest to Moscow. At the same time, the staff from Bonn could quickly travel to neighboring countries such as France, the Netherlands, Luxembourg or Belgium to become active there.
Brussels, as the headquarters of the European Union and NATO, is particularly important for the Russian leadership for gathering information. Nowadays, Belgium is cracking down quite a bit when it comes to espionage. This is where Bonn comes into play, because agents stationed there would not necessarily be on the radar of authorities abroad.
This means you could often move around more freely and, for example, hit springs. But what is particularly important is that their deployment abroad would not immediately lead to diplomatic turbulence if exposed, as they would not be active where they are accredited as embassy staff. The “traveling agents” would use a kind of international loophole.
Keeping sources abroad has apparently become even more important for Russia – including for espionage activities in Germany. Security circles say that the accredited diplomatic staff in Austria should play a particular role in operations in the Federal Republic. The government in Vienna did not take part in the extensive expulsions of embassy staff. So far only eight spies have had to leave Austria – although it is estimated that there are up to 100 Russian agents in Vienna who are accredited as diplomats.