Swiss intelligence is raising the alarm over a critical deterioration in national security caused by unprecedented espionage activity and the presence in the confederation of dozens of Russian agents operating under deep cover, said the head of Swiss intelligence, Serge Bavaud. This was reported by Swissinfo.
According to the intelligence chief, the current international order is undergoing deep and irreversible upheavals, while the number of acute crises and armed conflicts is rapidly increasing across Europe. Serge Bavaud stated that Switzerland’s traditional protective environment is rapidly eroding on all fronts — from the east, west, and south.
At the same time, the head of the Federal Intelligence Service emphasized that the threat coming from Russia is currently the most serious and significant problem facing the Swiss state.
Bavaud claims that Russia is deliberately seeking to weaken and destabilize Western democratic institutions through sophisticated hybrid warfare. As part of these subversive activities, the Kremlin is said to maintain dozens of professional intelligence operatives in Switzerland who conceal their espionage work and collect sensitive information, most often using official status and diplomatic cover.
He also noted that, in addition to Russian activity, the overall destabilization is influenced by the war in Iran, which has significantly increased the likelihood of violent acts and terrorist attacks against Jewish or American strategic targets on Swiss territory.
