The Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI) published research analyzing espionage cases in Europe from 2008 to 2024 across more than 20 countries, commissioned by Swedish Security Service, FRA, and MUST. It shows that espionage activities have evolved beyond traditional images, involving various types of spies, motivations, and increasingly complex networks. Most spies were recruited volunteers, often approached personally or via social media, with motivations including financial gain, ideology, pressure, or revenge. The Baltic states and Finland saw many spy assignments, with Poland noted for Russian collaboration with criminals to spy on Western equipment supplies. The study challenges previous assumptions by including overlooked groups such as women and highlighting espionage integration with modern digital technologies alongside old methods. The report calls on European intelligence services to update their approaches to tackle these emerging espionage complexities effectively.
Category: Intelligence & Espionage
Subcategory: Human Intelligence (HUMINT)
Incident Type: Recruitment of locals
Country: European Union
Source report: www.foi.se/en/foi/ne…
