Suspected of espionage: Ireland refuses to issue new visas to russians
Suspicions of russian espionage against Ireland are growing as the Irish government has decided to stop issuing new visas to russian diplomats. Find out more about why tighter control over the issuance of visas for russian citizens has become a necessary measure to protect national security and ensure the interests of the state
The Irish government stops issuing visas to employees of the russian Embassy on suspicion of espionage. This was reported by The Irish Times.
It is noted that the country's authorities refuse to issue visas to russian diplomats who wish to replace current representatives.
Visa restrictions for employees of the russian Embassy in Ireland
Since the beginning of russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the number of employees at the russian Embassy in Dublin has decreased from 30 to 14. Among those dismissed, eight are administrative staff and six diplomats, including Ambassador Yuri Filatov.
Additionally, two russian defense attaches, who usually have close ties to russian intelligence services, left Ireland.
A spokesperson for the russian Embassy confirmed that Ireland has stopped issuing new visas for embassy staff and refused to extend accreditation to those already in the country.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ireland confirmed a significant reduction in the number of accredited employees of the russian embassy, but refused to comment on the visa issue. It was confirmed that since 2023, the issuance of new visas has been suspended due to the deterioration of relations between the countries.
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russia is under suspicion of espionage in Ireland
As you know, until February 2022, russia had one of the largest diplomatic missions in Dublin, although it had rather limited official ties with the Irish government and a small diaspora in the country.
This had long been a concern for Irish intelligence services, which suspected that the russian embassy was being used as a cover for various forms of espionage, including communications interception.
Additionally, it was revealed that the russians had begun to use a scattered network of russian citizens who have no direct ties to embassies to gather intelligence.
We remind you! Last year, more than ten thousand russian citizens visited Ukraine. Moreover, the flow of russians remained practically at the same level throughout the year. Find out how many russians crossed the border of Ukraine for private purposes in our article.
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