Bulgarian investigative journalist Christo Grozev, who has himself found himself in Moscow’s crosshairs, warns that Austria is being infiltrated by Russian secret services. At the same time, the counterintelligence system in his adopted homeland is too small and therefore overwhelmed.
The journalist, who was guarded by constitutional protection officers, recorded this on Tuesday evening during a rare public appearance in Vienna, which for security reasons was only announced by the Concordia press club as a video link with him. “It is true that Austria has the counterintelligence infrastructure of a very small country, although given the concentration of spies it would need the structure of a large country,” says Grozev, who specializes in Russian intelligence operations. He justifies the fact that Austrian services often depend on tips from friendly Western services for their work by saying, among other things, that in the US, for example, a hundred times more people are involved in relevant analyses.
The “nicest” Russian secret service
The Russian representative authorities in Austria are full of spies and the cultural institute in Vienna-Wieden in particular has been an important hub for the SWR’s foreign secret service for years. The latter is of course the ‘nicest’ of all, because this service has not cost anyone their life since 1992. Grozev joked that this is why he wishes there were more SWR here and less of the domestic secret service of the FSB and the military secret service of the GRU. “But unfortunately the GRU was able to infiltrate even companies of strategic importance in Vienna and Austria and that is frightening,” he said.
Grozev responded succinctly to the question of whether he would be concerned about his personal safety during his stay in Austria if the FPÖ were to win the National Council elections in the fall: “Yes. I would come much less often than I can currently afford. For obvious reasons,” he said.
New strategy: criminals from unsuspecting countries
In recent years, numerous identities of Russian agents have been revealed, leading to mass expulsions of Russian “diplomats” in the West. Grozev warned of new risks, as Russia has increasingly deployed criminals from unsuspected countries for operations since 2022. These criminals can act unchecked and kill if they feel threatened.
An example is a burglary in Vienna in which Grozev’s son went unnoticed while he was playing in the next room. British and Austrian investigations show that the burglary was organized by fugitive ex-Wirecard CEO Jan Marsalek, a suspected employee of the Russian intelligence services. Former BVT employee Egisto Ott is also said to be involved in these activities. The presumption of innocence applies to all involved.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
