A purportedly independent Russian think tank is urging Europe to welcome millions of wealthy Russian emigres as “relocants” amid Russia’s war in Ukraine to bolster European economy. But that proposal collides with the recent exposure revealed in The Wall Street Journal of an undercover Russian couple working for years as Kremlin spies residing in Slovenia.
From: Euromaiden Press BY VIRA KRAVCHUK
A Wall Street Journal (WSJ) investigation revealed that a seemingly ordinary couple living in the suburbs of Ljubljana, Slovenia, were, in fact, elite officers of Russia’s foreign intelligence service, the SVR, hiding under false identities for over a decade.
After their arrest, another couple of suspected Russian agents, known as “illegals,” abruptly left their lives in Greece and Brazil, likely called back to Moscow by handlers fearing the collapse of their spy network, according to WSJ.
This news comes as on 11 June, an independent Russian think tank called The Center for Analysis and Strategies in Europe (CASE) proposed that European countries introduce a “relocant card” for Russians, which would simplify their emigration to the European Union and bolster European economy, emphasizing that the majority of Russian “relocants“ are wealthy, educated, and anti-war. The name “relocant“ applies to Russians who left Russia after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Russian illegals act as ordinary citizens of the country they move into and lead seemingly normal lives: opening businesses, raising children, and paying taxes. However, according to the WSJ, they manage to collect intelligence for Russia, recruit other agents, and build networks of sources, drawing less attention than spies working under diplomatic cover.
Russian spy couple lives 10 years under disguise in Argentina and Slovenia
The Russian couple, going by the names, Maria Rosa Mayer Muños and Ludwig Gisch, carefully constructed a false identity over a decade, starting in Argentina in 2012 before moving to Slovenia in 2017, according to WSJ.
Voice of Ukraine 