Russia expands EU spy network

Russia has aggressively boosted both the size and influence of its GRU military intelligence, FSB Federal Security Service, and SVR foreign intelligence agency since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine 


President Vladimir Putin’s spy chiefs. Admiral Igor Olegovich Kostyukov (above left), director of GRU; Alexander Bortnikov (top right), FSB; Sergey Naryshkin (below right), SVR                                                     
 
GRU, FSB and SVR: 400,000 employees in Europe. GRU has wide- ranging interests in NA TO. FSB collects domestic as well as foreign intelligence and SVR is tasked solely with foreign intelligence

Feb 13: Maksim Kuzminov (right), Russian military pilot who defected to Ukraine, killed in Spanish town of Villajoyosa – body riddled with six bullets. SVR believed responsible

Mar 1, 2024: Russia’s state-run RT channel causes firestorm among EU allies by posting recording
of German air force chief Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz (inset) and three officers discussing sending Taurus missiles to Ukraine

Russiagate: European Parliament warns that Kremlin is rebuilding network of MEPs working for FSB
Dec 2023: Supervisor at Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service (BND), Carsten Linke, charged with leaking intelligence to FSB

Feb 28-Apr 7, 2022: More than 400 Russian agents, operating under diplomatic cover, expelled from U.S. and EU following invasion of Ukraine


Sources: EuroNews, Politico, Reuters Pictures: Getty Images, Kremlin.ru © GRAPHIC NEWS