There has been the end of a spy network, which, under the guise of two computer companies, operated in Prague, the weekly Respekt reports with reference to its own sources. Some of the employees were Russian agents possessing Czech citizenship.
The author of the article is the investigative reporter Ondřej Kundra, this year’s laureate of one of the most important awards for Czech journalists – the Ferdinand Peroutka Prize. He has been studying Russian spies’ activity for many years.
According to Kundra, the Czech secret service’s years-long operation against the FSB-controlled network reached its peak in early 2018. At that time, several Russians were arrested, including those who managed to obtain Czech passports before.
The group worked under cover of two private computer companies in Prague, to which specialized equipment was delivered in Russian diplomatic cars; its members were engaged in hacking activities, the author states.
The network apparently cooperated with their ‘colleagues’ in other countries.”Their attacks, including on targets abroad, were conducted in a coordinated manner,” Kundra wrote. He claims that the Russian citizens left Czechia after being exposed.
“Those who have Czech citizenship are still under the police’s supervision. Nobody has been charged yet, the police are checking whether they committed treason when collaborating with a foreign government,” he stressed.
It is not known how many members of the group had to leave the Czech Republic, how many left and whether they are still here. Kundra recalled that media repeatedly drew the public attentions to the fact that Czech citizenship had been granted to a number of Russians under unclear circumstances. Since 1993, 4,764 Russians have become Czech citizens. In 2018, about 38,000 Russian citizens lived in the Czech Republic.
According to the journalist, the story was published after Czechia’s pro-Kremlin President Miloš Zeman had repeatedly criticized the Information Security Service (BIS), accusing the agency of exaggerating the threat posed by Russian spies.
The leader claimed that even if such a threat existed, BIS would not be able to stand up to it.
“The experts on security services suggest that the president’s office was just trying to get rid of the BIS chief Michal Koudelka who was tough on Russians, which made the secret service to at least partially reveal the cards,” Kundra wrote.
