The arrest of a British citizen in Berlin on suspicion of espionage for Russians has a clear taste of the Cold War.
In recent years, the Kremlin has been accused of conducting a series of high-profile cyber operations.They include Hacking and dumping in 2016 Thousands of Democratic e-mails. According to Washington, Moscow’s bold goal is to help elect Donald Trump as the President of the United States.
But apart from these dramatic 21st century episodes Russia Continue to quietly engage in so-called daily espionage activities.This 57-year-old man Arrested on Tuesday The British Embassy in Berlin. He is not a diplomat. His exact role has not been officially disclosed, but he appears to be a lower-level employee.
Prosecutors stated that the British man-only identified as David S-was arrested after handing over cash documents to a Russian intelligence officer. This episode will be in full compliance with the Kremlin’s script, and it has not changed in many ways since the KGB era. In the communist era, the spy agencies of the Eastern bloc usually targeted the staff of the Western embassies in junior positions. They rarely recruit high-level contacts.
“This is old-fashioned espionage,” said David Clark, a former special adviser to the late Foreign Secretary Robin Cook. “You will find someone who is willing to be persuaded by the intelligence service to do so.
“We are very used to the idea that everything is done in a virtual world of hackers and leaks. It feels a bit backwards.”
The secret police of East Germany-Stasi-specially dispatched “Romeo” agents to seduce the secretary working in Bonn, the capital of West Germany.This undercover activity is Great success. Sometimes secretaries are persuaded to hand over documents and embassy letters to their lovers. In fact, the secretary is a blocking point for all kinds of sensitive information.
According to Clark, the embassy staff arrested in Berlin may have given important materials to Moscow. “It’s wrong to assume that he doesn’t have access just because he is a low-level officer. For example, if you can find the person who shredded the file, you can get the file. Or, you recruit to empty the trash at the end of the day and perform trivial Cleaner at work.”
The Berlin spy scandal may be the latest in a series of similar incidents that have occurred recently across Europe.Last August, Norway Deport a Russian trade official suspected of spyingHe allegedly met with a Norwegian national at a pizza restaurant in Oslo and persuaded him to hand over sensitive details of the oil and gas project in exchange for cash. The Norwegian was arrested. Moscow said that the expulsion was unjustified.
In the same month, the French government Arrested a senior officer Regarding what it calls “security loopholes”. The French officer stationed in Italy’s NATO force was found meeting with a Russian working for the GRU military intelligence service.In Austria, a retired former colonel Sentenced to jail last year For three years. He shared detailed information about the Austrian weapon system in exchange for approximately 280,000 euros (£250,000).
The British government and its allies in 2018 Expelled more than 150 Russian spies After the novichok poisoning incident in Salisbury of Sergei and Yulia Skripal. This is the largest collective dismissal of a hostile intelligence official in history. Britain expelled 23 diplomats from the Russian Embassy in London.
In theory, this move has dealt a heavy blow to Russia’s extensive spy network and its ability to recruit Western sources. However, in reality, it seems to have just won a little breathing space. Analysts believe that since then, Russia has quietly rebuilt its intelligence capabilities, sent new faces and tried different approaches.
“After a while, the Russians regained their speed,” Clark said. “Theresa May’s punitive action on Salisbury will never be the long-term answer to this kind of thing.”
At the same time, the current residents of Downing Street seem to have no interest in taking meaningful action against Russian espionage. As the shadow Secretary of the Interior Nick Thomas Symonds pointed out on Wednesday, Boris Johnson has so far ignored the recommendations of last year’s Russian report.
The parliamentary intelligence and security committee document believes that the government needs to take more measures to counter Moscow’s aggression.
The spy agency of Vladimir Putin is not omniscient and omniscient. But they have rich experience and opportunistic methods. If there is a weakness-human or technology-they will try to take advantage of it.
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Shadow State: Murder, Chaos, and Russia’s Transformation of the West Luke Harding is published by Guardian Faber (£14.99).To order a copy, please visit Guardian Bookstore. Free UK p&p for more than £15
