Russian diplomats kicked out of NATO – Spy Scandal?

Two Brussels-based Russian diplomats, suspected of being undercover intelligence operatives, have been expelled from NATO. According to Russia’s ambassador to NATO Dmitry Rogozin, he was advised of the dismissal with the following explanation: “NATO is outraged by Russia’s spying activities against NATO and alliance member states.”

Russia, in turn, is angered by what they deem to be an “outrageous” expulsion. The Russian foreign ministry’s statement confirming the dismissal calls the move a “crude provocation…on an absolutely trumped up pretext without any clear explanation.”

NATO is reportedly retaliating against Estonia’s biggest spy scandal since the Cold War, which allegedly involved the funneling of classified NATO defense and diplomacy information to Russia. Estonia joined NATO in 2004, and massive spy scandals involving top security officials can be rather embarrassing.

In February, an Estonian court sentenced the former head of the country’s national security system, Herman Simm, to jail for 12 years on charges of espionage and treason. Although the court didn’t share with the general public which country Mr. Simm was spying for, investigators say that he sent the Russians about 3000 confidential documents for payment amounting to $110,000. They also said that Mr. Simm, once the chief of Estonia’s police service, had been working for the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) since the start of his employment with Estonia’s defense ministry in 1995. Moscow denies involvement.

The two diplomats who seem to have suffered as a result of Russia’s alleged connection to Mr. Simm are Viktor Kochukov, a senior counselor at the Russian mission and the head of its political section, and Vasiliy Chizhov, a junior attache and the son of Vladimir Chizhov, Russia’s representative to the EU.

Mr. Rogozin said, “There will be a response to such steps, which NATO will learn about shortly.” It is clear to him that “someone in the West strongly dislikes how relations between Russia and individual countries of Western Europe are developing.”

photos courtesy of www.baltic-course.com and www.wikipedia.org