Russia has aggressively resumed its espionage activities against the West, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday. Citing intelligence officials and analysts, the article states that after initial failures related to the Ukraine invasion, Russian agencies—the GRU, FSB, and SVR—revised their espionage tactics to bolster Russia's conventional military operations. Their goals remain: stealing Western secrets, deepening NATO divides, and undermining Ukraine support.
Following early 2022 setbacks and the expulsion of Russian diplomats from Western countries, its intelligence services have regained confidence and adapted their methods, the Financial Times stated.
New approach
A key shift is Russia’s increased use of intermediaries in intelligence activities, involving foreign nationals in politics, business, or crime, potentially unaware they’re aiding Russia. This marks a departure from pre-Ukraine invasion practices when operations involved predominantly Russian personnel.
Moreover, Russia exerts pressure on citizens abroad post-Ukraine aggression, attempting recruitment by threatening relatives at home. The FT sources noted that the GRU now recruits non-military background agents for unnoticeable entry into target countries.
Traditional espionage, using diplomatic cover in neutral nations like Switzerland and Austria, persists, with around 150 such agents reported. Security sources identified that “a third of Russia’s intelligence operations across the continent were now run from ‘the safe hubs’ of Vienna and Geneva” with other significant outposts in non-Schengen countries like Turkey and the UAE. Serbia has become a refuge for several expelled Russian agents.
The efficacy of Russia’s new espionage strategies remains uncertain, though the ongoing exposure of secret operations suggests deep penetration into Europe since Moscow’s full-scale Ukraine invasion, the FT concluded.
New approach
A key shift is Russia’s increased use of intermediaries in intelligence activities, involving foreign nationals in politics, business, or crime, potentially unaware they’re aiding Russia. This marks a departure from pre-Ukraine invasion practices when operations involved predominantly Russian personnel.
Moreover, Russia exerts pressure on citizens abroad post-Ukraine aggression, attempting recruitment by threatening relatives at home. The FT sources noted that the GRU now recruits non-military background agents for unnoticeable entry into target countries.
Traditional espionage, using diplomatic cover in neutral nations like Switzerland and Austria, persists, with around 150 such agents reported. Security sources identified that “a third of Russia’s intelligence operations across the continent were now run from ‘the safe hubs’ of Vienna and Geneva” with other significant outposts in non-Schengen countries like Turkey and the UAE. Serbia has become a refuge for several expelled Russian agents.
The efficacy of Russia’s new espionage strategies remains uncertain, though the ongoing exposure of secret operations suggests deep penetration into Europe since Moscow’s full-scale Ukraine invasion, the FT concluded.
Source: PAP, Financial Times
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