Switzerland has declared that it employs dozens of Russian spies

On Monday, the special services of Switzerland issued an annual report on state security. The report states that dozens of Russian secret agents continue to work in the country under the guise of diplomats, and Switzerland remains one of the hot spots for Russian espionage.

The document states that in recent years, many Russian spies have been discovered and expelled from the countries of the European Union and North America. Their deportations increased after the assassination attempt on the Skripal family in Great Britain in 2018 and after Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine in 2022. However, in Switzerland, their number remains unchanged, which is especially dangerous, since neutral Switzerland is a platform for many international initiatives. In particular, the European headquarters of the UN is located in Geneva. Switzerland also considers the Russian representation there as a possible base for an intelligence agency under diplomatic cover.

Swiss counterintelligence believes that at least a third of the 220 employees accredited to Russia’s diplomatic missions in Bern and Geneva work for Russian intelligence.

In addition, the Swiss special services are concerned about the large number of alleged spies in Chinese embassies, but they believe that there are still fewer of them than the Russian ones.

Analyzing the situation in the world, the Swiss special services assume that Russia’s war in Ukraine will not end in 2023. As the conflict continues, the West, on whose help the very existence of Ukraine now depends, will increasingly incline its authorities to negotiations with Russia. Russia, in their opinion, is ready for a protracted war. They also believe that Russia will continue to threaten the use of nuclear weapons, but it is extremely unlikely that it will carry out its threats.

Also, analysts consider a full-scale armed conflict between China and Taiwan in 2023 unlikely.