Europeans expel dozens of Russian envoys to combat espionage

[dalton99a]

https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-czech-republic-netherlands-europe-espionage-ecf8770a23a6a3997d32fc07fef4ad80

Europeans expel dozens of Russian envoys to combat espionage
By MIKE CORDER

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — In what appeared to be a coordinated action to tackle Russian espionage, at least four European allies expelled a total of dozens of Russian diplomats on Tuesday.

The expulsions come against a backdrop of relations between Russia and the West that have been plunged into a deep freeze following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

The Netherlands said it was expelling 17 Russians who it described as intelligence officers masquerading as diplomats. Belgium said it was ejecting 21 Russians. The Czech Republic gave one Russian diplomat 72 hours to leave the country. Ireland told four senior Russian officials to leave the country because of activities deemed not “in accordance with international standards of diplomatic behaviour.”

Poland last week expelled 45 Russians whom the government identified as intelligence officers using their diplomatic status as cover to operate in the country.

[riversedge]

1. Wise move.

[Frustratedlady]

2. That's scary in Poland with all those refugees there.

How many do we have sprinkled around the country?

[DetlefK]

3. Have you ever seen the russian embassy in Berlin? I have...

It's a huge and impressive building with a classy and tasteful outer architecture.

And RIGHT NEXT TO IT, wall-to-wall, is an ugly, outdated non-descript office-building from the 1970s.
* Closed blinders on ALL windows.
* No name-tag at the door-bell.
* No number displayed anywhere on the building as to what the adress is.
* The back-entrance to the office-building, in the small alley on the side, was guarded by an old man in a german police-uniform, except that he was waaaay to old for being an actual on-duty police-officer.

[dalton99a]

4. I've seen the Russian complex. Where is that office building on the map

[DetlefK]

5. Along the right edge on Glinka-Strae.

The entrance with the guard was near the street-crossing Glinka-Straße/Behren-Straße.

[dalton99a]

7. Maybe that's where they do their "diplomatic" work

The main building is certainly impressive - and they allow tours:







etc.

[anamnua]

6. Irish embassy

[link:https://politics.ie/attachments/fpbthyxwyaa6iqk-jpg.169740/|

[dalton99a]

8. Russian "diplomats" committed actual sabotage in the Czech Republic:

https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/czechs-expel-18-russians-huge-depot-explosion-2014-77140530

Czechs expel 18 Russians over huge depot explosion in 2014
The Czech Republic is expelling 18 Russian diplomats it identified as spies in a case related to a huge ammunition depot explosion in 2014
By KAREL JANICEK | Associated Press
April 17, 2021

PRAGUE -- The Czech Republic announced Saturday that it was expelling 18 Russian diplomats who it has identified as spies in a case related to a huge ammunition depot explosion in 2014.

Prime Minister Andrej Babis said the move is based on “unequivocal evidence" provided by the Czech intelligence and security services that points to the involvement of Russian military agents in the massive explosion in an eastern town that killed “two innocent fathers."

Interior Minister Jan Hamacek, who is also serving as the country's foreign minister, said the 18 Russian embassy staffers were clearly identified as spies from the Russian intelligence services known as GRU and SVR and were ordered to leave the country within 48 hours.

The explosion, which took place on Oct. 16, 2014 in a depot in the town of Vrbetice where 50 metric tons of ammunition was stored, claimed two victims. Another explosion of 13 tons of ammunition occurred in the depot on Dec. 3 of that same year.

Hundreds had to be evacuated from nearby villages after those explosions.