Another told the same outlet that “Russian activities . . . are as high or even higher than during the Cold War” while a third said: “Russian intelligence is a huge machine and is back doing what it always did.”
Numerous incidents have occurred in recent weeks that suggest Russian spies have upped their activity in Europe.
In February, Tihomir Ivanov Ivanchev was suspected to have been working for Moscow – the sixth Bulgarian to be charged in the UK.
Prior to that, a Russian military pilot who defected to Ukraine in 2024 was found dead in Spain.
The West is aiming to counter this, and Sir Richard Moore, the head of MI6, said last year that the West is open to Russian defectors coming to help them.
He said: “There are many Russians today who are silently appalled. Our door is always open.”
Belgium is another country that has expelled a number of Russian spies in recent months.
The country’s Prime Minister, Alexander De Croo, was asked recently whether Russia is trying to destabilise democracy in Europe.
He told The Brussels Times: “Belgium has deported dozens of so-called Russian diplomats from the country in recent months. Were they spies? Clearly, yes.
“If we take a stand against Russia, we know that very often our websites become targets of cyber attacks in the following hours.”
