The special services of the Czech Republic continue to consider Russia the biggest threat to the country’s security and noted that Moscow is trying to restore the influence of its agency, which was “thinned out” by the large-scale expulsion of employees of the Russian embassy in Prague.
As ČTK reports, “European Truth” writes, this is stated in the annual report of the Security Information Service (BIS).
During the year, the counterintelligence of the Czech Republic focused most on the malicious activities of Russia, as well as cyber threats and threats related to the most modern technologies. It increased attention to the activities of China.
“Russia’s attempts to redraw the geopolitical map of the world and create a “new world order” are currently the biggest threat and the greatest challenge for the world community,” BIS Director Michal Kudelka noted in the report.
It adds that Russia is a threat not only because of the war in Ukraine but also because of its efforts to deepen conflicts in the societies of Western countries, and the spread of disinformation and sabotage activities, which will continue to be a serious security challenge in the foreseeable future.
Counterintelligence noted that Russia is trying to restore the influence of its agency in the Czech Republic under diplomatic cover after the expulsion of many employees and diplomats of the Russian embassy in Prague in 2021-2022. Because of this, the Russian Federation often carried out espionage and influence operations either directly from the territory of the Russian Federation or from the territory of friendly or neutral countries.
For this, both long-term diplomatic accreditation and short-term visas are used. The risk that Czechs who go to Russia for some purpose will try to recruit Russian special services for espionage against the Czech Republic has also increased. The risk of Russian-recruited accomplices or special agents coming undercover to the Czech Republic is assessed as high.
To recruit new agents, Russians primarily use the Telegram messenger.
The report also noted an increase in cyberattacks in 2023, which Russia is probably behind, compared to 2022. Phishing letters, in particular, disguised as diplomatic correspondence, were used very often: attackers attacked the Czech Foreign Ministry with such letters and also sent similar letters on behalf of the Czech Foreign Ministry, as well as to other countries.
Attempts to break into the Czech railway infrastructure were also recorded, which were partially successful.
In addition, numerous attempts by suspicious companies to contract goods that can be used in the defence industry, including spare parts for aircraft, from Czech manufacturers were recorded.
At the beginning of 2023, confirmed cases of circumvention of sanctions were recorded as a result of such agreements: counterparties ordered delivery allegedly to Kyrgyzstan, but after stopping in Turkey, the cargo was immediately redirected to Russia.
Counterintelligence recognized that the scale of the sanctions requires a lot of attention from regulatory authorities and tracking potential sanctions circumvention is a challenge.
We will remind you that a network of Russian and Belarusian saboteurs who were planning a “cyber war” was exposed in Poland. Three men were arrested in Germany, who allegedly spied on a former spy from Ukraine.
Sweden’s security police have announced an increase in the threat of Russian sabotage on the country’s territory, and military defence companies have already recorded several suspicious cases.
Українська правда
