The Russian embassy in Brussels has been home to 220 Russian diplomats, several of whom have recently been identified as spies. A European media investigation has revealed that Belgian authorities have expelled many of these diplomats in recent years.
Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine in February 2022, NATO countries expelled 750 Russian diplomats, according to data available up to January 2025. This investigation, which involved collaboration among the French daily Le Monde, Radio Free Europe, the Belgian newspaper De Morgen and the magazine Humo, indicated that the increase in Kremlin intelligence activities is the most significant observed since the end of the Cold War.
In 2022, Belgium expelled 68 Russian diplomats; in early 2023, 20 more employees from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs were also removed. Many of these individuals operated under the guise of commercial attachés, advisers, secretaries, or technical staff.
Belgian intelligence has identified 11 diplomats as officers of the SVR, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service. Additionally, seven individuals were linked to the military intelligence service (GRU), and two were associated with the Federal Security Service (FSB). Media inquiries have not received responses from the Belgian services or the Russian embassy in Belgium.
In March 2024, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo acknowledged, “On paper, they are diplomats, but we know very well that they conduct other activities.”
The investigation also identified notable SVR operatives in Brussels, including Dmitry Jordandi, 55, an alumnus of the Paris National School of Administration (ENA), and Igor Goryachev, 46, employed at UNESCO. Currently, Mr. Jordandi is seeking a leadership position within the OSCE in one of three countries: Serbia, Kazakhstan, or Kyrgyzstan.
According to the investigation, the GRU’s operations in Brussels have been overseen by Sergei Petrikov, 61, who has prior experience with the state arms concern Rosoboronexport. FSB officers Dmitry Subochev and Igor Yechin were responsible for facility security and monitoring the Russian diaspora in Belgium.
Journalistic reports have indicated a notable increase in Russian sabotage operations in recent years, with evidence suggesting direct involvement from the Kremlin. Researchers from the University of Leiden documented 44 such incidents in 2024 and 13 in 2023.
A source from NATO has noted a shift in the methods utilised by Russian intelligence services. Recently, these services have begun using the Telegram messenger to recruit individuals willing to conduct specific operations for remuneration, as highlighted in the annual report of the Belgian intelligence service published in January.
Additionally, unofficial reports suggest that the management of Euroclear, which manages 183 billion euros of frozen funds from the Russian central bank, has engaged the services of a private security company. Journalists have also uncovered that employees of Umicore, a firm that produces materials for high-tech devices, have been targeted by these Russian “diplomats.”
