In Geneva and Bern, out of 220 accredited persons of Russian diplomatic and consular institutions, at least one third works for the Russian special services. This is stated in the annual report on the state security of Switzerland.
It is noted that such a high performance is partly due to the role of Switzerland as a "host" of international organizations.
The report said China also has dozens of intelligence officers who work under diplomatic or consular cover in Switzerland. At the same time, there are far fewer of them than in Russia, since Chinese personnel mostly work under the guise of scientists, journalists or businessmen.
As the report says, Russia's war against Ukraine has made it difficult for spies to operate in Europe due to sanctions and visa restrictions, as well as the expulsion of large numbers of Russian diplomats. A significant role was played by the cancellation of direct regular flights between the Russian Federation and Europe and the fact that the Schengen zone abolished the visa-free regime for stays of up to three months for persons with Russian citizenship. On the other hand, however, the war opened up opportunities for Russian intelligence to send more workers to Europe as "refugees".
The Swiss intelligence services suggest that "a large number of refugees are members of the intelligence services and can travel undetected and be taken in on a temporary basis."
The report notes that it will still be difficult for the Russian Federation to work in most Western states, but the scope of espionage activities and its scope will depend on the decisions of Western governments, which may impose sanctions.
Recall that Germany has decided on the mass expulsion of employees of Russian diplomatic missions from Germany.
SOURCE: (Translated from Russian)