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Le cueilleur Profile picture
@LCueilleur
Apr 16, 2022 • 6 tweets • 3 min read • Read on X
Moscow's ears in Paris
#thread

The French capital has been an important refuge for Russians for decades. Once again, Moscow has invested heavily in espionage know-how. Even the German counter-intelligence was confronted with it. A closer look 1/6
The largest Russian Orthodox cultural centre in Western Europe opened in Paris in October 2016. In November 2016, @LeTemps ran the headline: "In Paris, Russian espionage under domes“ 2/6 letemps.ch/monde/paris-le…
Excerpts: "There is talk of a Russian place with diplomatic immunity, located just a few hundred metres from the Quai d'Orsay and the Elysée Palace (...) German ambassador Meyer-Landrut, whose residence is nearby, had asked his counterintelligence services for checks" 3/6
Intelligence experts see a high-tech spy base right next to the Elysee's service flats (pixelated) 4/6 Image
The Russian Embassy - Boulevard Lannes - in Paris has several satellite dishes (red arrows), antennas (yellow) and a #sigint shed (green) on the roof 5/6 ImageImageImage
The satellite dishes seem to have a „flexible" focus. Google Timelaps shows very precisely the different rotations of the dishes 6/6 ImageImage

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More from @LCueilleur

Le cueilleur Profile picture
Feb 2
Horst Schwirkmann died a year ago today. He was a long-time #Bundesnachrichtendienst staff member and an expert in radio defence (Funkabwehr). An absolute master of his trade. To this day he is the only officially known victim of a Soviet poison gas attack on a #BND employee 1/8 Image
He survived but his recovery was long and painful. Moscow 1963, the West German embassy was extensively bugged by the #KGB. At the time Horst Schwirkmann was an electronics specialist at the #BND's Central Cipher Centre - Zentralstelle für das Chiffrierwesen (ZfCh) in Bonn 2/8
His job: to track down bugs and other hidden #KGB microphones. He quickly finds what he is looking for. The #BND bug sweeper uses a trick on the mass of microphones. He injects a very high voltage into the microphone cable 3/8
Read 8 tweets
Le cueilleur Profile picture
Dec 20, 2023
The SIGINT water tower
#thread

An inconspicuous water tower in the direct vicinity of the Soviet embassy in Bonn plays an important role in the #ColdWar. It was a secret listening post for years. Radio signals from the embassy were intercepted here 1/7 Image
In 1975, the Soviet embassy moves to Viktorshöhe in Bonn. A new building is quickly erected on the site. USSR technicians rapidly expand the #SIGINT capacities on the buildings. The location on the hill is ideal for interception operations 2/7
The West German intel services, with the help of the US, are also very interested in information from the new embassy. The phone lines are tapped. The entrances to the embassy grounds are monitored with video cameras. Secret equipment is installed in the neighbouring houses 3/7
Read 8 tweets
Le cueilleur Profile picture
Dec 26, 2022
The current espionage case in the #Bundesnachrichtendienst shakes the NATO intelligence community. There could hardly be a worse time than now. The alleged spy is said to be a senior staff member from the top-secret #BND SIGINT division 1/9
The person works there in the evaluation department, according to media reports. On European soil, the #BND is one of the big players with its #SIGINT capacities. He is an important intelligence tool in the work against Russia in the Ukraine war 2/9
In view of the war in Ukraine, the current espionage case could turn into a disaster for the #BND. Partner services cut off the flow of information. Trust is gone. This is likely to paralyse the work of the BND for years - much to Moscow's advantage 3/9
Read 9 tweets
Le cueilleur Profile picture
Dec 13, 2022
Moscow's ears in Belgium
#thread

#NATO headquarters, EU Commission and centre of important lobbying organisations. Brussels is a strategically important target for Russian espionage. But Moscow's embassy and two cultural facilities have another mission 1/7
The Russian Embassy in the Uccle district in Brussels is large. There are many buildings on the premises. The roof of a residential building and the main building are particularly eye-catching. 17 satellite dishes (red), different antennas (green) and 5 #sigint sheds (yellow) 2/7
The multi-storey residential building in particular stands out with its spy technology. Both buildings on Bing Maps Birdseye 3/7
Read 7 tweets
Le cueilleur Profile picture
Nov 26, 2022
Moscow's ears in Germany

#thread
Germany is an important spy target for Moscow. Russia also uses the country as a base for satellite espionage - the platform for this are diplomatic missions and a cultural centre. There are a few interesting details 1/12
Russian #SIGINT activities in Germany have increased significantly in the last decade. In the middle of Berlin, on the edge of the government district, surrounded by government administration buildings, lies the Russian Embassy 2/12
On the roof of the property you can see the classic HF "Cage dipole" as well as other receiving antennas bild.de/politik/inland… 3/12
Read 12 tweets
Le cueilleur Profile picture
Oct 27, 2022
Russian cultural institutions raise eyebrows in Western counterintelligence. Not without reason. They are seen as a gateway for #SVR #GRU and #FSB. The A.S. Pouchkine Cultural Centre 32, rue Goethe in Luxembourg is also suspected of espionage. A few interesting details 1/10
In an undated interview, former Rossotrudnichestvo official Tatiana Poloskova criticises the cultural institution's involvement with intelligence services. Poloskova is a political analyst and state advisor of the Russian Federation. She knows Putin's power apparatus 2/10
Tatiana Poloskova: "Everyone knows that they are from the #FSB. Of course, no one wants to say that, but in the host countries this label is firmly attached to them. I think this is not so much the result of propaganda as a mistake in our personnel policy“ 3/10
Read 10 tweets

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