Greek Man Exposed as Suspected Spy for Russia

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In the Austrian capital Vienna, investigators have unmasked a 39-year-old Greek man of Russian descent as a suspected spy for the Russian military intelligence service GRU.

The man is suspected of having done espionage work to Austria’s detriment for years. That says the Ministry of the Interior on Monday.

According to the ministry, the man is the son of a former Russian intelligence officer who was stationed in Germany and Austria during his active service as a diplomat. That writes the Austrian newspaper Der standard.

The man presumably received special military training in Russia, was still in Moscow shortly before the war in Ukraine, and was in contact with diplomats and intelligence services from different countries. The ministry suspects that he informed Russia about the reaction of foreign powers to the invasion of Ukraine and reported on political and social discourses from Austrian society.

The 39-year-old man became suspicious because of his countless travels. From 2018 to 2022, he travelled 65 times, including to Russia, Belarus, Turkey and Georgia. The ministry said that he also acquired several properties in Vienna, Russia and Greece, although his income was low.

The suspect, currently at large, owned signal detectors for listening devices, hidden cameras and a protective suit, among other things. The Viennese public prosecutor’s office also confiscated mobile phones and computers with ten million files.