In response to Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, a number of EU countries expelled hundreds of Russian diplomats. Several of these were also suspected of having practiced espionage in the respective countries.
One of the diplomats who was singled out as a spy for the Russian intelligence service (SVR) was Kirill Logvinov (48), according to Swedish The Expresswhich has investigated Russian espionage in the EU in collaboration with several other European media.
Logvinov has several years’ experience as a Russian diplomat in Europe, including in Germany, Austria and Belgium. He was deputy head of Russia’s EU delegation in Brussels, and since September 2022 has been Russia’s leading representative towards the EU.
Together with a number of European newspapers, Expressen has investigated Russian espionage in Europe – where Logvinov’s name appears.
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The newspaper writes that the Belgian security service believes Logvinov is actually an intelligence officer, but uses the diplomat title as a cover to carry out secret operations and espionage.
This should have been conveyed to the EU’s diplomatic service in a secret report in spring 2022.
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For political reasons, the EU nevertheless chose not to deport Logvinov, sources claim to Expressen. The Belgian security service is said to have sounded the alarm again about Logvinov, but the EU’s diplomatic service has once again rejected deportation.
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Reacts: – For me, it’s shocking
Outgoing Minister of Justice in Belgium, Vincent Van Quickenborne, believes it is solely the EU’s fault that Logvinov has not been removed.
– It is the European Commission that decides the accreditation of diplomats from a permanent representation in the EU, not the Belgian government, says Van Quickenborne according to Expressen.
Vice-President of the European Parliament, Martin Hojsik, is shaken by the information.
– For me, it is shocking that he has not yet been expelled. If Belgian intelligence asked to expel him, I would be very interested in the reasons why the foreign service has not acted. I expect that, after this revelation, the EU Parliament will ask about this particular case and get the foreign service to act, says Hojsik, according to the same newspaper.
2023-10-24 22:13:48
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