What we know about the six Russian spies expelled by France

Six Russian agents were expelled for activities “contrary to our national interests”. after a long-term investigation by the DGSI. France has decided to expel six Russian spies who, according to it, operated under cover of their embassy in Paris and “whose activities have proven to be contrary to our national interests”, indicated Monday the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a press release. France Diplomatie speaks of a “clandestine operation carried out by the Russian intelligence services on our territory”, without however giving more information concerning these spies declared persona non grata on French territory, and their actions. · “Clandestine Russian agents” The press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs speaks of “six Russian agents under diplomatic cover”, i.e. people present in France for a reason other than that displayed, “and whose activities were revealed to be contrary to our national interests”. Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin also spoke of a “network of clandestine Russian agents who were working against our interests.” These denominations refer to espionage, but have already been used in recent weeks to dismiss other Russian diplomats. On April 4, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs thus announced the expulsion of “many Russian personnel with diplomatic status assigned to France whose activities are contrary to our security interests.” In the press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it is underlined that these expulsions take place after “a very long investigation” by the DGSI. According to a source familiar with the matter at BFMTV, it is indeed a long-term operation facing “very professional services which used techniques very elaborate”. This investigation therefore required “a lot of meticulousness and investment” on the part of this French service, it is a “operation of a major obstacle against a spy operation”. reproached? It is difficult to know what these six officers actually did to be expelled. According to information from BFMTV, what they are accused of is an operation to capture information that the DGSI (General Directorate of Internal Security) detected and which was prevented. “It could be an operation directed against the Russian opposition who are on French soil”, or “an operation of Russian interference in the French democratic process within the framework of the presidential election”, or even “a special operation quite aggressive in the context of the war in Ukraine and French sanctions”, explains on BFMTV Sergei Jirnov, former intelligence officer of the KGB. “Unfortunately we will never know you and me”. Mélanie Vecchio with Salomé Vincendon