After the Russian attack on Ukraine w 2022 r. many Russian diplomats were expelled from EU countriesRussian propaganda channels were blocked, visa restrictions and sanctions were introduced.
“It may seem that the road to Europe has been closed for Russian intelligence services, but this is not the case,” the website reports. Cyprusus Mail, discussing Centrum Report Filean organization associated with Russian oppositionist Mikhail Khodorkovsky and dealing with detection criminal activity representatives Kremlin.
“No Russian diplomat has been expelled. Including the Russian embassy and the Russian Home center in small Cyprus they employ about 300 people” – written.
Cyprus has approximately one million inhabitants remains an important stronghold of the Kremlin in the EU – assessed. Cyprus is a country reputation as a tax haven, wherein lives over 100 thousand Russians and citizens of other countries of the former USSR. Half of them have already received it Cypriot citizenship. Many Russians living in Cyprus are very wealthy and sympathize with the authorities in the Kremlin.
Unlike other EU countries, not a single Russian diplomat has been expelled from Cyprus since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine, and in 2022 The head of the Russian embassy was a general of the Federal Security Service.
Although Cyprus supports the EU's foreign policy stance on the issue unleashed by Russia war in Ukraine and supports imposed on Moscow sanctions, did not interfere with the activities of Russian diplomats or Russian propaganda, the Dossier Center noted. Authorities limited access to the RT channel on television cable, but not on the internet.
“Golden passport” for Putin's diplomats
According to the opposition website, as part of the “golden passport” program in 2002-2020 hundreds of representatives of the Putin administration, businessmen and perhaps also agents came to Europe.
Including Cyprus “golden passports” – granted by the Cypriot authorities to citizens of non-EU countries in exchange for millions of investments – received 2.9 thousand Russians.
Cyprus was also often visited chosen by Russian business, including one close to the Kremlin, as a place to invest capital. In 2018, the amount of investments transferred from Russia to Cyprus amounted to almost USD 21 billion.
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