The exposure and expulsion of at least 35 Russian intelligence officers from Moscow’s embassy in Berlin will not lead to a reduction in espionage activity in Germany. According to information from the news magazine FOCUS, the experts from several security agencies even assume the opposite and expect even more aggressive action by the Russians.
Shortly after several agents disguised as diplomats found out about the impending expulsion, according to FOCUS information, they became very active. There were meetings with their informers and sources. They are said to have been briefed on the current situation and told that new agent leaders will be contacting them soon.
Russia “easily handles” spy expulsion
According to German counterintelligence intelligence, more than 120 diplomats accredited in Germany were actually acting as agent leaders. They try to recruit informants from politics, business, the military and research institutions, sometimes with large sums of money.
“The Russians can easily cope with the expulsion of 35 secret service officers,” says Klaus Werda, who, as a former head of counterintelligence in Brandenburg, is also well acquainted with the Berlin agent scene. “The three Moscow secret services SWR, FSB and GRU have very well trained people who can draw on unlimited resources.”
The espionage mission in Germany is considered a privilege and is a distinction for many ambitious officers, emphasizes a senior intelligence officer. In addition, diplomatic immunity protects against criminal prosecution.
Russian Foreign Ministry announces “retaliatory measures”
In the current case of the expulsion of agents, German and Russian authorities initially decided to proceed discreetly. The already difficult relationship between the two states due to the Ukraine war should not be further strained.
However, with the departure of the embassy staff from Berlin, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced “retaliatory measures” against the “enemy actions” and ordered 20 German diplomats to leave the country. In addition, the spokeswoman for the ministry complained about press reports on the planned expulsion. FOCUS first reported exclusively about it.
