Czechs and Finns see Russian intelligence activism
(BRUSSELS2) The annual report of the "intelligence service" office Czech has not gone unnoticed this year. He denounces a very strong Russian activism on his soil (read here, Czech version). “Russian espionage activities in the Czech Republic are reaching an extremely high level and intensity,” it says. “To impose their interests, the intelligence services of the Russian Federation have sought, over the past year, to contact and influence people and subjects in civic society, in the political sphere and in the media”. A long-term campaign, according to the Czech services, which aims to discredit the EU and NATO, isolate the Americans, and restore Russian control over their immediate perimeter. Counter-offensive linked to the establishment of part of the american anti-missile shield in the czech republic. A campaign that is part of a more general context where Russian espionage also deploys an intense activity of collecting economic information. A finding shared by a second report, military intelligence, this time, published Monday.
En Finland, a study commissioned by the State Security (Supo), comes to similar conclusions. The author, Matti Lauha, points out, however, that theRussian espionage is more interested in strategic and political aspects, than strictly economic. As a cover, Russia often uses its embassies, consulates and other establishments which benefit from diplomatic immunity. And the spy particularly cherishes certain professions such as the researcher, the reporter or the businessman. Finland thus expels two to three Russian diplomats each year, revealed the director of Supo in interviews, remarks Helsingin Sanomat. But few of these cases are revealed to the public. From 1992 to 2006, the period of the study, there were just two cases surrounded by publicity: a foreign ministry official found in possession of sensitive documents and two Russian illegals caught entering Finland en route to London.
(NGV)
