The SBU secret service helped uncover a pro-Russian influence network in Prague, writes Ukrinform

Commercial presentation Update: 31/03/2024 15:43
Issued by: 31/03/2024, 15:43

Kyiv – Ukrainian secret service SBU helped Czech counterintelligence uncover a pro-Russian influence network in Prague targeting MEPs. This was written today by the Ukrainian press agency Ukrinform, citing its sources. They told the agency that the Czech Security Information Service (BIS) revealed a network run by Viktor Medvedchuk, an ally of the Russian president, before the upcoming June elections to the European Parliament.

The pro-Russian network paid politicians to praise Russia and its President Vladimir Putin in European media, Ukrinform reports, adding that the propaganda network also published anti-Ukrainian and anti-European materials on a platform called Voice of Europe. According to the agency’s sources, the members of the network strove to get as many pro-Russian politicians as possible into the European Parliament.

On Wednesday, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala informed about the inclusion of several Russian entities on the national sanctions list. It concerns the aforementioned company Voice of Europe, which is registered in the Czech Republic as a Polish citizen. And it also features politician and businessman Viktor Medvedčuk with politician Artőm Marčevský. Persons newly included on the sanctions list sought to gain influence in the countries of the European Union and subsequently in the European Parliament (EP). The state has no information that it would concern Czech politicians and citizens, Fiala said at the time.

BIS on the X network https://twitter.com/biscz/status/1772975617505394934, that her action revealed how Russia exerts influence on the territory of the EU states and how it tries to influence political processes. Meanwhile, the newspaper N reported that the BIS had uncovered a network organized by Russia that tried to influence the elections to the European Parliament in various European countries. According to counterintelligence, cash was handed over to anti-establishment politicians from Germany in Prague, other money went to the operation of a pro-Russian news website, the server wrote.

Ukrinform writes that a number of European politicians who were Putin’s supporters have now suffered a serious blow, as many MEPs are demanding a thorough investigation of Russian influence and the punishment of colleagues who received Russian money.

According to available information, intelligence services of other countries are also involved in the activities of the pro-Russian network. According to Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo’s earlier statement, Belgian and Czech intelligence services cooperated to break the Russian propaganda network. A few days ago, the spokesman of the Polish government intelligence coordinator, Jacek Dobrzyński, announced according to the Onet portal, that the Polish counter-intelligence ABW is investigating the activities of a pro-Russian espionage network directed against the member states and institutions of the European Union. At the same time, it cooperates with the Czech Republic. The head of the Dutch government, Mark Rutte, said on Friday that the Dutch intelligence services are also looking into the case.

Ukraine Russia EU CR intelligence