The Russian regime of Vladimir Putin took advantage of last year's escape of Russians to send spies to the West, The Wall Street Journal writes, citing European officials, UNN reports .
Details
Putin has kept Russia's borders open, allowing hundreds of thousands of Russians to flee to Europe, Central Asia, and the Caucasus to avoid mobilization. They were joined by undercover intelligence agents, replacing those who were expelled
The publication points out that Russian agents are becoming increasingly bold, and they may be behind the high-profile murders of Russian defectors, including pilot Maxim Kuzminov, who hijacked a Russian helicopter for Ukraine in 2023. In mid-February 2024, he was shot dead in Spain.
The article also mentions other mysterious deaths of Russians since the beginning of the full-scale Russian war against Ukraine.
Russian businessmen were found hanged in London and drowned in Puerto Rico. A United Russia deputy fell from the roof of an Indian hotel, and a 46-year-old deputy science minister died of an unexplained illness on a flight from Cuba.
Since 2022, the Spanish police have been investigating the death of former Novatek executive Serhiy Protosen, who was found dead with his wife and daughter.
However, as the WSJ points out, no firm evidence has yet been found that the Kremlin is behind these events.
El Mundo: Russian pilot Kuzminov lived in Spain for several weeks22.02.24, 01:10