In Switzerland, there are approximately 80 Russian spies, which constitutes about one-fifth of the total number of Russian agents in Europe. This information was reported by the Swiss newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung, citing data from the Federal Intelligence Service of Switzerland.
European countries have been actively countering the Russian espionage network by expelling embassy staff from Russia since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. However, Switzerland, due to its long tradition of neutrality, has not taken such actions. According to assessments shared with parliament members by intelligence services in September, there are currently about 80 Russian agents in the country.
A representative of the Swiss Department of Foreign Affairs emphasized that the government of the country "does not impose any sanctions in the form of expelling diplomats," and added that communication channels with Russia should be maintained.
"When Switzerland expels diplomats, it does so for reasons of internal security, and these cases are not publicly disclosed," added the spokesperson.
Swiss cities such as Geneva and Bern have always attracted the attention of intelligence agencies due to the presence of international organizations and companies. The issue of Russian espionage has become a more acute topic of debate among Swiss politicians.
"These foreign agents pose a threat to Switzerland's internal and external security," said Fabian Molina, a member of the Swiss National Council (the lower house of parliament), in an interview with NZZ.
Last year, Swiss intelligence also pointed out that Russia's espionage activities were "thriving" in the country following waves of expulsions of Russian diplomats from European countries. They also stated that, if necessary, measures would be taken to prevent Russian agents from entering their territory.
A year later, Swiss intelligence observed that the threat to Switzerland from Russian spies had only intensified.
