NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has disclosed the expulsion of Russian personnel from NATO headquarters due to their involvement in espionage activities, rather than diplomatic efforts, without specifying the timing of the incident.
In a conversation with BILD, Stoltenberg revealed that multiple Russian officials were expelled from the NATO headquarters for engaging in espionage rather than performing diplomatic duties.
The Secretary-General stated, “we have seen that Russian intelligence services have operated across European countries for many years. We’re also seeing attempts to step up their activities, but of course, NATO allies are monitoring and following this very closely.”
He further noted that the Alliance expelled Russian personnel from NATO headquarters because it was discovered they were carrying out activities more aligned with intelligence work than actual diplomatic work. However, he refrained from revealing the precise number of individuals expelled or sharing detailed information regarding the intelligence they collected during their time at NATO headquarters in Brussels.
In October 2021, NATO removed eight members from Russia’s delegation, identifying them as “undeclared Russian intelligence officers” operating covertly as spies. Furthermore, NATO reduced the maximum number of staff Moscow is allowed to maintain at the alliance’s headquarters to 10, although the reason behind this reduction was not specified.
It remains uncertain whether Stoltenberg was implying that these 10 individuals were subsequently expelled at a later date.
