Since the unprovoked and ongoing invasion of Ukraine by Russia six months ago, several Russian diplomats have been expelled from EU member states, but Austria and Switzerland have so far kept a low profile regarding a possible expulsion of diplomats. Among these diplomats are numerous members of the Russian intelligence services.

After the end of the Second World War, both countries have been considered important hubs for espionage activities. Russia took advantage of both states' laissez-faire policies towards foreign intelligence services and set up GRU military intelligence and SWR foreign intelligence platforms in both countries for operations across Europe.

Historian and intelligence expert Dr. Adrian Hänni will provide participants with a unique insight into the past, present and future of Russian intelligence services in Europe since the Cold War.

This event is scheduled to occur on the 13th of September 2022 at 6.00PM CET/5.30PM UK.

For more info, contact information@thesecuritydistillery.org

Guest lecture

Dr. Adrian Hänni

Dr. Adrian Hänni is a historian who has been a lecturer in political history at FernUni Switzerland and a lecturer at the History Department of the University of Zurich since 2015. In 2021/22, he was a Visiting Scholar at the Center for German and European Studies (CGES) at the Georgetown University. His research interests include the history of political violence, propaganda and intelligence history, with a focus on the Cold War period.