Photo: Thomas Haldenwang
Russian authorities are increasingly resorting to blackmail and financial incentives to recruit German citizens for spying after some 600 Russian diplomats were expelled from Europe, the German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) said. called the country's internal security service).
The agency notes that Russian intelligence services are spending large amounts of money on recruiting agents in Germany, despite Western attempts to limit their activities after the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine began, Reuters reports.
"Russia is making every effort to compensate for the German government's reduction in the number of Russian agents in the country.”– BfV head Thomas Haldenwang said at a press conference.
Two German citizens who were charged with treason last August for spying for Russia were each paid approximately 400,000 euros ($428,560) for their services, the BfV noted.
"Agent fees indicate that Russian services still have enormous financial resources to achieve their intelligence goals,"– this conclusion was made in the department's published report.
Germans living in Russia or regularly traveling there, including diplomats, are at particular risk of becoming targets of Russian intelligence services.
"Once they have incriminating information about those they have targeted, these services do not hesitate to use aggressive recruiting methods,"– the document explains.
According to the BfV, today spies are also embedded in international organizations.
Earlier this month, the Alliance also reiterated its concerns about Russian espionage and called for tougher measures in response to a campaign of hostile actions, including acts of sabotage and cyber attacks.
Prepared by: Sergey Daga