Twenty-one alleged spies were kicked out of the Russian embassy in Uccle, Brussels, in April of this year. However, intelligence expert Lars Bové said this has no effect on embassy-based espionage operations.
Seventeen fake Dutch diplomats, as well as those being expulsed and their families, left Belgium in April on an aircraft out of Zaventem.
The Russian embassy has a 46,000 square metre block of land on Avenue Defré in Uccle, near the Bois de la Cambre. Security cameras and 900 metres of electric fence surround it.
Trees surround the structure to block away views from the outside, according to an investigation by the source.
However, any visitor who appears to be paying a bit too much attention to the compound or approaching too closely is videotaped, and a staff member inside is informed.
The correspondents claim that the large satellite receivers on the roof are there for more than just picking up Russian TV.
According to interviews with insiders, analysis of pictures, and other (online) sources, the embassy is a “Small hamlet with a communication centre with technology as well as other facilities for the Russian intelligence agencies.”
The reporters also looked into records, which showed that, in comparison to other nations, Russia has a “disproportionate” amount of intelligence operatives.
The embassy is said to be a “Highly closed community” with a variety of services available on-site, including schools, sports facilities, and housing. Before the expulsions, there were estimated to have been 70 to 80 intelligence operatives working with a team of about 220 people.
Furthermore, “It is believed that espionage efforts, which were already targeted at the EU and NATO, have significantly expanded since the commencement of Russia’s conflict with Ukraine.
