Geneva is one of the world’s espionage hotspots, and the Swiss authorities have long come to terms with it.
Shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, around 500 Russian diplomats were expelled from European countries in the spring of 2022 – all suspected of espionage. Switzerland was about the only country that did not follow suit.
According to the 2023 situation reportExternal link of the Swiss Federal Intelligence Service (FIS), around 220 people work in Russia’s diplomatic and consular representations in Bern and Geneva. “At least a third of them are likely to still be active for Russian intelligence agencies,” states the FIS.
In most other European countries, the latest East-West confrontation has made the work of Russian espionage networks increasingly difficult. “It’s very likely that the Russian intelligence services have more leeway in Switzerland due to their large presence,” reads the statement of the FIS.