Security services of Latvia have accused Russia of carrying out cyber espionage in 2016 against politicians, journalists and public institutions in the European nation. The head of the counter-intelligence service (the Constitution Protection Bureau of Latvia, CPB) Janis Majzitis told journalists after passing the closed session of the government, reported Internet portal DELFI.
Maizitis explained that Russia or other States could not get hold of the information constituting a State secret, informed the Bureau. We cannot exclude "special measures" aimed at NATO soldiers.
Information that resulted from cyber espionage is a "very interesting intelligence, but not a state secret," he added. Thus Majzitis did not disclose details of those who have just been the object of surveillance, saying only that it is the politicians of different levels.
He also noted that the level of Russia's espionage activity last year was not very different from that in 2015, and in general can be estimated as average. The level of activity is estimated to remain same in 2017 as well mainly because of the increasing presence of NATO forces in the region. However, it is not excluded that Moscow will carry out special activities against the NATO troops, said Majzitis.
Maizitis said that this year Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia will be arriving at the international battalions of NATO for the framework of capacity building for Alliance in the region.
In recent years, several reports about Latvia’s special services being suspected of espionage in favour of Russia made rounds. Three months back, an employee of the Latvian railway, Alexander Krasnoperov was also arrested on suspicion of conducting espionage in Russia’s favour. Social and political activist, Vladimir Linderman said that Krasnoperov took pictures with military equipment of NATO and sent them to a Russian friend. Linderman posted on Facebook, “have a hankering for the security Police to catch at least one Russian spy from among the local residents.”
