Laas Leivat: Spying on students and students spying

Laas Leivat: Spying on students and students spying (3)

Eestlased Kanadas | 13 Oct 2023 | Eesti Elu

Laas Leivat - pics/2019/06/53773_001_t.jpg — Laas Leivat

Approximately 18,000 foreign students studied at Russian post-secondary institutions in 2021. This rose to 23,000 in 2022 and jumped to 30,000 in 2023.

Why such a sizable increase now? Russia quickly needs to refill the intelligence vacancies due to hundreds of its spies being exposed and expelled from Europe after the invasion of Ukraine. And the most favourable setting for approach, forging relationships and recruitment is an educational environment.

It’s understandable that Russian FSB, GRU and SVR personnel with diplomatic cover in embassies abroad are currently subjected to a heightened surveillance protocol. Talent spotting, assessments and making contact are hampered by prying Western eyes. Russian university campuses are free of unwanted attention.

Russia expects some 100 students from Estonia to pick up the attractive offer - no tuition fees and plenty of financial support through generous scholarships.

The Russian Embassy in Tallinn plays a substantial role in promoting opportunities on their web page to join the program through the social media group “Studying in Russia”. Its membership of about 300 consists mainly of students from Estonia.

(Pikemalt saab lugeda Eesti Elu 13. oktoobri 2023 paber- või digilehest eestielu.ca)

Viimased kommentaarid

Kommentaarid on kirjutatud EWR lugejate poolt. Nende sisu ei pruugi ühtida EWR toimetuse seisukohtadega.

...19 Oct 2023 07:40

Good information from the writer in a very long time!

This is only a surprise to people who never had to (or want to) learn about the CCCP, the Cold War and its aftermath.

Communist countries have accepted (encouraged) students into their universities for indoctrination (spy recruitment) since probably the 1920's.

Kaja Kreekas16 Oct 2023 07:34

https://uueduudised.ee/arvamus...

e m rootsis15 Oct 2023 22:57

"tudengid" ja muud "raketiteadlased" (Rootsi näitel 2015) ...

Kui palju on Kaja Kallas Eestisse võltsukrainlasi toonud?

https://uueduudised.ee/uudis/e...

Loe kõiki kommentaare (3)

Eestlased Kanadas

Õnnistuste jada / A series of blessings ehk kuusesalk läks kuusesallu