Swiss say foreign spying threat high, citing Russia, China
"The security situation around Switzerland is deteriorating year by year," the FIS said in its annual overview.
"A global confrontation is emerging, with the USA on one side and China and Russia on the other. This has direct implications for Switzerland: the threat of espionage is high and proliferation activities are increasing." The global context has direct implications for Switzerland, a militarily neutral country which hosts multiple international organisations.
The confrontation is "increasing pressure" on the wealthy Alpine nation, making it "a key target for foreign intelligence services", the FIS said.
The report said several countries had posted undercover intelligence officers in Switzerland.
"They pass themselves off as diplomatic personnel, business people, media representatives or tourists, for example," it said.
"The greatest espionage threats come from Russia and China, both maintaining a strong intelligence presence in Switzerland. They are interested in federal authorities, companies, international organisations, and research institutions." Unlike the intelligence services of many other states -- which primarily spy on their own diaspora -- China and Russia have sufficient resources to pursue other targets, according to the FIS.
They are also going after police forces, foreign diplomatic missions, journalists and universities, the Switzerland's Security 2025 report said.
Russia and China have "undercover personnel at diplomatic missions", it noted.
Swiss defence minister Martin Pfister said Switzerland's security environment had "deteriorated drastically" since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The report said Moscow and Beijing would continue conducting intelligence operations in Switzerland against Western states, including preparatory activities for hybrid warfare.
"Switzerland faces an increasing risk of being used illicitly for the preparation or perpetration of abductions, sabotage and assassinations abroad," it said.
Meanwhile the FIS expects no decrease in the amount of espionage against exiled opposition figures and journalists living in Switzerland.
"Geneva, as an international meeting point, will remain a hotspot for illegal intelligence," it added.
"We have never experienced such a density of threats. We are not mere observers: we are directly affected," said FIS director Christian Dussey.
He said the agency's strategic radar was tracking 15 international crisis hotspots.
Dussey said foreign spies were also interested in Switzerland's technological innovation sector.
The FIS also said the intensifying competition among major powers made Switzerland a preferred target for sanctions evasion attempts and proliferation.
"Russia, Iran, and North Korea are increasingly attempting to procure dual-use goods and technologies for their military and nuclear programmes through Switzerland," it said.
Furthermore, the agency said the terror threat was elevated in Switzerland, primarily from individuals inspired by jihadist ideology.
"A major challenge is the online radicalisation of youth, which can happen quickly, making early detection critical," it said. (AFP)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Korea Herald
6 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Russia and Ukraine trade drone strikes
Russia and Ukraine struck each other with hundreds of drones on Sunday, throwing Russian air travel in disarray, shortly after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced deals with Western partners that would allow Kyiv to scale up drone production. Photos circulating on social media showed crowds huddling at Russian airports including key international hubs in Moscow and St. Petersburg, as hundreds of flights were delayed or canceled due to Ukrainian drone strikes on Saturday and overnight, according to Russia's Transport Ministry. The flight disruptions hit Moscow's Sheremetyevo and St. Petersburg's main Pulkovo airports. Other airports in western and central Russia also faced disruptions. Russian air defenses shot down 120 Ukrainian drones during the nighttime attacks, and 39 more before 2 p.m. Moscow time Sunday, Russia's Defense Ministry said. It did not clarify how many had hit targets, or how many had been launched in total. Early on Sunday, Ukrainian drones injured two civilians in Russia's Belgorod region near the border, its Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said. The Ukrainian attacks came just days after Russia pummeled Kyiv with waves of drones and missiles overnight into Friday, in what Ukrainian officials called the largest such strike since Moscow's all-out invasion. The seven-hour onslaught killed at least two civilians, wounded dozens more and caused widespread damage, Ukraine said, while Moscow ramped up its push to capture more of its neighbor's land. In total, Russia launched 550 drones and missiles across Ukraine that night, according to the country's air force. The barrages have coincided with a concerted Russian effort to break through parts of the roughly 1,000-kilometer front line, where Ukrainian troops are under severe pressure. Large-scale Russian drone strikes Sunday injured three civilians in Kyiv and at least two in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city in the northeast, officials said. A Russian attack involving Shahed drones also targeted port infrastructure in Mykolaiv in central Ukraine, according to local Gov. Vitaliy Kim. He reported warehouses and the port's power grid were damaged, but there were no casualties. Hours later, Russia launched a glide bomb and a drone at the front-line town of Kostyantynivka in eastern Ukraine, killing four civilians and injuring a fifth, the prosecutor's office said. The drone struck a car in which a married couple were traveling, killing the 39-year-old woman and 40-year-old man on the spot, it said. Zelenskyy said on Saturday that Ukraine had inked deals with European allies and a leading US defense company to step up drone production, ensuring Kyiv receives 'hundreds of thousands' more this year. Zelenskyy did not name the US business in his nightly video address to Ukrainians, but said Ukraine and Denmark have also agreed to co-produce drones and other weapons on Danish soil. His remarks came days after the US paused some shipments of military aid to Ukraine, including crucial air defense missiles. Ukraine's main European backers are considering how they can help pick up the slack. Zelenskyy said plans are afoot to build up Ukraine's domestic arms industry, but scaling up will take time. Ukraine has previously used homemade drones to hit high-value military targets deep inside Russia, demonstrating its capabilities and denting Moscow's confidence. Last month, Kyiv said it destroyed more than 40 Russian planes stationed at several airfields deep inside Russia in a surprise attack. Outnumbered and outgunned, the Ukraine Army has also turned to drones to compensate for its troop shortage and shore up its defenses. While Russia has ramped up offensives this summer on two fronts in Ukraine, analysts say the front is not about to collapse. On Friday, Zelenskyy said he had a 'very important and productive' phone call that day with US President Donald Trump, discussing possible joint drone production alongside US-led efforts to end the war. Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Trump described the call as 'good.'
Korea Herald
a day ago
- Korea Herald
UK foreign secretary visits Syria
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — British Foreign Secretary David Lammy met in Damascus on Saturday with Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, marking the restoration of relations after 14 years of tension during Syria's conflict and Assad family rule. Syria has been improving relations with Western countries following the fall of President Bashar Assad in December in an offensive led by al-Sharaa's Hayat Tahrir al-Sham Islamist group. Al-Sharaa's office said Lammy and the president discussed mutual relations and ways of boosting cooperation and the latest regional and international developments. Lammy later met his Syrian counterpart, Asaad al-Shibani, state media reported. A statement issued by Britain's foreign office said the visit showed London's commitment to support Syria as the new government seeks to rebuild the country's economy, deliver an inclusive political transition and forge a path to justice for the victims of the Assad government. It added that there will be new UK funding to assist with the removal of Assad-era chemical weapons and provide urgent humanitarian assistance in Syria, to bolster UK and Middle East security and tackle irregular migration. The statement said the British government wants to ensure that the Islamic State group's territorial defeat 'endures, and they can never resurge.' IS once controlled large parts of Syria and Iraq, where it planned attacks worldwide. It was defeated in Syria in March 2019 when the extremists lost the last sliver of land they once controlled. The statement said Britain's support for Syria is set to continue, with the additional 94.5 million pounds ($129 million) package announced Saturday. It will provide urgent humanitarian aid to Syrians, support Syria's longer-term recovery through education and livelihoods, and support countries hosting Syrian refugees in the region. In April, the British government lifted sanctions against a dozen Syrian entities, including government departments and media outlets, to help the country rebuild after Assad's ouster. Weeks earlier, the UK had dropped sanctions against two dozen Syrian businesses, mostly banks and oil companies. US President Donald Trump signed an executive order ending many American economic sanctions on Syria, following through on a promise he made to al-Sharaa. Syria's new leaders have been struggling to rebuild the country's decimated economy and infrastructure after nearly 14 years of civil war that has killed half a million people. In recent months, al-Sharaa visited oil-rich regional countries and France in May in his first visit to the European Union. Also on Saturday, Lammy met in Beirut with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and they discussed the situation along the Lebanon-Israel border following the 14-month Israel-Hezbollah war. A statement issued by Aoun's office quoted the Lebanese leader as telling Lammy that Beirut plans to raise the number of Lebanese troops along the border with Israel to 10,000. Aoun added that the only armed sides on the Lebanese side of the border will be Lebanon's national army and UN peacekeepers.
Korea Herald
5 days ago
- Korea Herald
Swiss say foreign spying threat high, citing Russia, China
The threat from espionage is high in Switzerland as global insecurity increases, with the main threats emanating from Russia and China, the country's Federal Intelligence Service warned Wednesday. "The security situation around Switzerland is deteriorating year by year," the FIS said in its annual overview. "A global confrontation is emerging, with the USA on one side and China and Russia on the other. This has direct implications for Switzerland: the threat of espionage is high and proliferation activities are increasing." The global context has direct implications for Switzerland, a militarily neutral country which hosts multiple international organisations. The confrontation is "increasing pressure" on the wealthy Alpine nation, making it "a key target for foreign intelligence services", the FIS said. The report said several countries had posted undercover intelligence officers in Switzerland. "They pass themselves off as diplomatic personnel, business people, media representatives or tourists, for example," it said. "The greatest espionage threats come from Russia and China, both maintaining a strong intelligence presence in Switzerland. They are interested in federal authorities, companies, international organisations, and research institutions." Unlike the intelligence services of many other states -- which primarily spy on their own diaspora -- China and Russia have sufficient resources to pursue other targets, according to the FIS. They are also going after police forces, foreign diplomatic missions, journalists and universities, the Switzerland's Security 2025 report said. Russia and China have "undercover personnel at diplomatic missions", it noted. Swiss defence minister Martin Pfister said Switzerland's security environment had "deteriorated drastically" since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The report said Moscow and Beijing would continue conducting intelligence operations in Switzerland against Western states, including preparatory activities for hybrid warfare. "Switzerland faces an increasing risk of being used illicitly for the preparation or perpetration of abductions, sabotage and assassinations abroad," it said. Meanwhile the FIS expects no decrease in the amount of espionage against exiled opposition figures and journalists living in Switzerland. "Geneva, as an international meeting point, will remain a hotspot for illegal intelligence," it added. "We have never experienced such a density of threats. We are not mere observers: we are directly affected," said FIS director Christian Dussey. He said the agency's strategic radar was tracking 15 international crisis hotspots. Dussey said foreign spies were also interested in Switzerland's technological innovation sector. The FIS also said the intensifying competition among major powers made Switzerland a preferred target for sanctions evasion attempts and proliferation. "Russia, Iran, and North Korea are increasingly attempting to procure dual-use goods and technologies for their military and nuclear programmes through Switzerland," it said. Furthermore, the agency said the terror threat was elevated in Switzerland, primarily from individuals inspired by jihadist ideology. "A major challenge is the online radicalisation of youth, which can happen quickly, making early detection critical," it said. (AFP)
