On 13 April this year, Norway did something that has never been done before, on such a scale. 15 diplomats at the Russian embassy in Drammensveien were declared undesirable in Norway. They were not diplomats, they actually worked for Russian intelligence, according to PST and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Inger Haugland heads PST’s counterintelligence. Photo: Tom Balgaard / news It was a hard blow for Russian intelligence in Norway. But there are many indications that Russia has used the time well. According to PST, Norway as an intelligence target is now very important for Russia. That’s what the head of counterintelligence in PST, Inger Haugland, says. – Russian intelligence is still active in Norway. The capacity they have had at the Russian embassy in Oslo was naturally greatly reduced after 15 intelligence officers had to go home this spring. But we see indications that they are trying to rebuild that capacity, says Haugland in an interview with news. – We have implemented concrete measures to prevent them from replacing the personnel they have had at the embassy. I cannot go into detail about exactly what we do, but it is an important part of PST’s mission to prevent and prevent Russian intelligence activity in Norway, says Haugland. On tourist visas to Norway The intelligence officers who were sent out of Norway are part of a much longer list. Western countries have targeted Russian embassies as spy centers to a large extent since Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine began on 24 February last year. An overview from the British newspaper Daily Telegraph shows that at least 705 Russian diplomats have been declared undesirable since 2022. This is twice as many as have been sent out in the last 20 years. This has been a major blow to Russian intelligence, says investigative journalist Andrei Soldatov to the newspaper. But in Norway, PST sees clear signs that they are rebuilding. Not just by trying to get new intelligence officers into the embassy, says Inger Haugland in PST. – We also see Russians who, on behalf of Russian intelligence, travel to Norway for shorter stays, without diplomatic cover, but with other types of cover. It may be under the guise of being a tourist or linked to business activity. – Have you actually seen this in recent months? – I am not going to go into what we have seen specifically, but it is a method that Russian intelligence has used for a long time and is still used. PST: Still using civilian vessels for intelligence news revealed in April this year that at least 50 civilian Russian vessels such as trawlers, cargo ships, research vessels and yachts may be used by Russian intelligence for espionage against critical infrastructure in Norway. Norway introduced a port ban against calls by Russian-flagged vessels, with the exception of fishing vessels in the cities of Tromsø, Båtsfjord and Kirkenes. When asked whether Russia still uses civilian vessels for intelligence purposes, PST answers in the affirmative. – Russian intelligence has used civilian vessels for intelligence purposes for a long time, and it is a method they still use, says Haugland, who will not elaborate more on what concretely PST sees when it comes to Russian civilian vessels. – Many of the Norwegian sources have gotten cold feet. Tom Røseth is the head teacher in intelligence at the Norwegian Defense Academy. He says that it has weakened Russian intelligence in Norway that so many Russian diplomats have been declared undesirable. The embassies have been the place from which many of the intelligence operations have been directed. Now they have lost their feet on the ground that can recruit sources, says Røseth to news. – But Russian services will eventually adapt and use other methods to approach Norwegian sources and ensure continued intelligence information, says Røseth. – Moscow now sees itself in a long-term conflict with Norway and the West and is willing to both take increased risks for immediate potential gain, and prioritize long-term intelligence operations in order to get decision support during the war, and the time afterwards. Tom Røseth is head teacher in intelligence at the Norwegian Defense Academy. Photo: Trygve Heide / news Røseth believes Norway must assume that Russia will continue its traditional investment in physical acquisition through agent networks, which will then use more sophisticated cover stories than diplomatic cover. The Russian embassy on Drammensveien in Oslo. Photo: Tomm W. Christiansen / news Røseth says it has become much more difficult for Russian intelligence to operate in Norway, since the 15 intelligence officers were declared undesirable. – Many of the Norwegian sources have probably gotten cold feet or become aware that they have been useful helpers for Russian intelligence services, and not diplomats. The deportation has probably led to a crisis in intelligence gathering. Relationships that have been dependent on physical meetings have now ended or are dormant, says Røseth. More “illegals” in Norway? In addition to the fact that a large number of intelligence officers have been declared undesirable, Western countries have also tried to uncover and destroy Russia’s network of so-called “illegals”, illegalists in Norwegian. There are sleeper agents who live ordinary lives and build themselves up with false identities, but who quietly work as Russian agents. In the past year, six such agents have been exposed in the West. Spy accused Mikhail Valeryevich Mikushin as an election campaign worker in Canada, before he came to Norway. PST believes he is an illegalist and works for Russian intelligence. Photo: Twitter One of them operated in Norway, according to PST. Slowly and surely, PST believes that the spy accused Mikhail Mikusjin built up a credible identity as an academic with an interest in the Arctic and northern regions. Mikushin himself claims that his name is José Assis Giammaria, that he is innocent, and that he is from Brazil. The Police Security Service (PST) has shown this video of the arrest of José Assis Giammaria, who they believe is actually Russian Mikhail Valeryevich Mikushin. Experts told the Daily Telegraph that Western intelligence began arresting illegals because they were becoming more dangerous. They are now more dangerous because Russian intelligence is now in war mode, says expert Andrei Soldatov. With few intelligence officers back at the embassies, priority is given to illegal agents for special operations, which can be anything from targeted assassinations to sabotage, says Soldatov. When asked if PST knows whether there are still illegal agents in Norway, the PST leader answers this: – Illegalists are a method used by Russian intelligence, and Norway is an important intelligence target for Russia. I don’t want to specifically comment on whether we are aware of more illegals, but it is a method that we clearly have to be aware of, says Inger Haugland to news. – Higher acceptance of risk PST says it has become more difficult for Russian intelligence to work in Norway. Both because of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24 last year, and because of the repatriation of the 15 intelligence officers. Inger Haugland in PST. Photo: Tom Balgaard / news – It is a more difficult operating environment for Russian intelligence, but we also believe that they now have a higher acceptance of risk than they had before the invasion of Ukraine on 24 February last year. – What does higher acceptance of risk mean? – This means that they have more to gain and less to lose by conducting intelligence activities in Norway, so that they will be able to take greater risks than we have seen them do in the past. Among other things, there is a greater risk of being discovered, says Inger Haugland, head of PST’s counterintelligence work. news has not succeeded in getting in touch with the Russian embassy in Oslo about this matter.
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Clear signs that Russia is rebuilding itself in Norway – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
