Russia Remains the Biggest Threat to Czech Security

Czech intelligence services consider Russia to be the biggest threat to the country's security and see Russia trying to restore the influence of its agents in the country. 

This is reported by ČTK with reference to the annual report of the Czech Information Security Service.

‘Russia's efforts to rewrite the geopolitical map of the world and build a ‘new world order’ are currently the biggest threat and at the same time the biggest challenge for the international community,’ said Michal Kudelka, Director of the Service, in the report.

In his opinion, in addition to the conventional war against Ukraine, Russia is conducting hybrid attacks against the Czech Republic and other Western democracies. It is increasingly using modern technologies to attack stability, democracy and freedom.

Russia poses a threat to the Western world, including the Czech Republic, that goes beyond the conflict in Ukraine, the Security Service believes.

‘Russia's efforts to polarise the public, spread disinformation or sabotage activities pose a serious security threat that the Czech Republic will have to deal with in the foreseeable future,’ the intelligence service writes.

According to the service, after a significant reduction in Russia's diplomatic mission in the Czech Republic in 2021 and 2022, Moscow is trying to restore the capabilities of its intelligence services under diplomatic cover. It uses both long-term diplomatic accreditation and short-term visas.

According to counterintelligence, the risk that people visiting Russia will ‘be in the crosshairs’ of the country's intelligence services has also increased. They may be used for espionage against the Czech Republic.

The report also states that in recent years, Russian intelligence services have begun to use communication apps, primarily Telegram, to recruit and manage agents. The attacks are aimed, for example, at disrupting the distribution of aid to Ukraine.

According to the service, the risk of sending so-called travelling officers or employees of Russian special services to Czech territory is high. Cyber espionage is also an important tool for Russia to obtain information. A common way to penetrate computer networks is through the mass distribution of phishing messages. The messages usually take the form of regular diplomatic correspondence.