Switzerland Becomes Center of Russian-Chinese Espionage

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has further intensified the rivalry between major powers and made Switzerland, home to many international organizations, a hub for Russian and Chinese espionage, according to the Intelligence Service, as reported by SWI.

The threat of espionage from Russia and China remains high, as stated in the annual report of Swiss intelligence agencies.

"Russia has disrupted the rules-based order in Europe," soberly notes the Federal Intelligence Service (SRC) in its annual report published on Monday.

"In Europe, Switzerland is one of the states with the highest number of Russian intelligence officers operating under diplomatic cover, partially due to its role as a host for international organizations," the press release of Switzerland's report 'Security 2023', published on Monday, states.

The report highlights that the threat to Switzerland has increased since its accession to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) this year. The peacekeeping capabilities of international organizations such as the UN or the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) continue to decline, with no signs of a stable new world order, according to the statement.

"China and Russia seek to change the status quo of existing institutions, rules, and norms," warns the report's authors.

Russia's war against Ukraine will remain a focal point of Switzerland's security environment. Swiss intelligence aims to prevent the transfer of goods to Russia that could be used for military purposes. New regions such as the Eurasian Economic Union, Turkey, and India are now on the radar of intelligence officials due to strategic Russian acquisitions.

The failed Wagner coup attempt and the Saturday's coup attempt in Russia have also drawn the attention of the Swiss intelligence community.

"Our services have closely monitored the situation throughout the weekend," said Christian Dussi, head of Switzerland's Federal Intelligence Service, at a press conference on Monday.

"We are currently in a de-escalation phase, but the uprising led by Yevgeny Prigozhin and his Wagner Group is a significant event."

However, according to Dussi, it is still too early to draw conclusions as many actors are waiting to see how the situation evolves. Dussi made comparisons with the events of 1991 (the attempted coup against Mikhail Gorbachev) and 1993 (Boris Yeltsin's assault on the Russian parliament). In both cases, the result was a clear strengthening of the state apparatus.

The European headquarters of the UN is located in Geneva, as well as the headquarters of many UN agencies. Switzerland's mandate in the UN Security Council, starting from January 2023 and for the first time in its history, "increases the threat posed by espionage to the Swiss working on Security Council files." They inevitably become targets for spies.