France announces expulsion of six Russian spies “operating under diplomatic cover”

Six Russian agents active in France “under diplomatic cover” have been “explained persona non grata” in the territory, the Quai d’Orsay announced in a press release on Monday, April 11. This decision follows “a very long investigation” of the Directorate General for Homeland Security (DGSI) which made it possible to “a clandestine operation carried out by the Russian intelligence services” on French soil, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a press release.

According to information from France Télévisions, this is the culmination of a case that has been going on for several months and which led to the surveillance of a Russian agent, who had contact with a Frenchman to buy information. It was the latter who warned the French secret services. At the moment, the French authorities have not communicated the nature of this clandestine operation.

The activities of these six agents “have proven to be contrary to our national interests”which led to their eviction. “In the absence of the Russian ambassador, the number two was called to the Quai d’Orsay this (Monday) evening to be informed of this decision”add the . please Ministry of Foreign Affairs†

The Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, welcomed this operation of the DGSI on his Twitter account: “Remarkable counter-espionage operation. Congratulations to the DGSI agents who hindered a network of Russian clandestine agents working against our interests. The agents involved will have to leave the national territory. In the shadows, the DGSI watches over the fundamentals of our interests”†

Paris had already announced the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats last Monday, declaring the formula according to which their activities were “contradictions” to French interests and stating that the sanction was part of “a European approach”†