The Federal Intelligence Service (FIS), Switzerland’s primary intelligence agency, claims that after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, Switzerland became an espionage hotspot, with at least one-third of Russia’s 220 accredited diplomats in Switzerland suspected of being spies. Russian espionage in Europe and North America may have been damaged by expulsions, but the FIS said that spies were still active in Bern, the Swiss capital, and at Moscow’s representation to the United Nations in Geneva. The study stated on Monday that owing to Switzerland’s role as a host to international institutions, it is “one of the states with the highest numbers of Russian intelligence officers operating under diplomatic cover” in Europe.
Geneva is home to several international organization including the European headquarters of the United Nations. Hundreds of ambassadors call the city home or travel there frequently for important meetings. FIS head Christian Dussey told reporters, “probably at least a third work for the Russian intelligence services,” out of the about 220 personnel accredited as diplomatic or techno-administrative employees at the Russian missions in Geneva and Bern. The Swiss secret service, which employs 450 people, has claimed that the conflict in Ukraine has compelled it to increase its surveillance of nations like Turkey and India, where Russia has been using businesses to acquire goods. According to the CIA, China is similarly suspected of employing hundreds of spies at its diplomatic missions in Switzerland. However, this figure is far lower than that of Russia. According to the FIS, Chinese spies are less likely to use diplomatic cover and more likely to pose as scientists, journalists, or business executives. According to Dussey, with more funding, China’s espionage operation in Europe would only strengthen.
The head of the FIS said, “We are doing the maximum, on the ground, to show the lines” not to be crossed, and that espionage activities were harmful to Switzerland’s credibility and had a bad effect on Geneva’s international prominence. The FIS also stated that Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine had impacted the security picture. This was exacerbated by the rising competition between the world’s main powers. “Russia has destroyed the rules-based order for peace in Europe,” the FIS stated. “The effectiveness of international forums for maintaining peace and security, such as the United Nations or the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), has continued to decline; there are no signs of a stable new world order.”
