In the Shadows: The Russian Espionage and State Secret Safeguards
Along with a growing trend of sabotaging strategic institutions across Europe, as published in our previous reports, the threat of espionage has never been more pronounced. Since the Ukraine invasion, more Russian illegals have been exposed across Europe. The risks of such espionage are profound: undermining national security, influencing political decisions, and stealing technological and military secrets.
The recent exposure of Russian espionage activities in Slovenia highlights the sophistication of Russian intelligence operations in Europe. Artem Viktorovich Dultsev and Anna Valerevna Dultseva, posing as an ordinary Argentine couple in Ljubljana, were revealed by local intelligence forces as elite officers of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service. Their arrest in December 2022 marked a pivotal moment in Russia’s expanding shadow war with the West. Their base in Slovenia allowed for seamless travel and espionage activities across Europe, exploiting the nation’s limited counterintelligence capabilities.
Shortly after the Slovenia couple was arrested by Slovenia’s security services, another pair of suspected Russian illegals—a woman with a Greek passport and a man with a Brazilian passport—suddenly fled from Athens and Rio de Janeiro, leaving behind businesses and romantic partners who were unaware of their real identities.
Russian espionage agents often exploit seemingly innocuous individuals and situations. The infiltration of academic institutions and businesses by older Russian students further indicates a strategic move to embed spies deeply within European society. The Russian intelligence might use organized criminals and foreign nationals to carry out espionage, complicating counter-espionage efforts. Deep-cover agents, often referred to as ‘Illegals,’, usually pose as people with no connections to Russia and spend years embedding themselves in their target regions. They weave a network of information sources, spot potential recruits, and serve as intermediaries for spies under diplomatic cover, who are frequently under tight surveillance by their host nations.
While many European countries expel Russian diplomats over espionage concerns, their numbers in Austria have surged to over 500, with more than half being intelligence agents. Vienna has become a hub for Russian operations in Central Europe, supporting activities like assassinations, sabotage, and industrial espionage. An Austrian intelligence official stated, “We are now becoming a burden on our neighbors because Russia is using us as a base for operations.” These operations include financing and logistical support for assassinations, sabotage, and recruitment, as well as industrial espionage and influence operations.
The revelation of these deep-cover agents in various countries across Europe underscores the breadth of Russia’s espionage network. Russian espionage underscores the need for vigilant security measures to protect state secrets. Security professionals must adapt strategies to ensure national integrity and security in a complex geopolitical landscape.
ASERO Worldwide specializes in recognizing and addressing unusual or suspicious activities and implementing appropriate response measures to mitigate threats.