Ireland halts issuances of Russian diplomatic visas due to espionage concerns
February 18, 2024 2 Comments
AUTHORITIES IN IRELAND ARE systematically “freezing” applications for Russian diplomatic visas from Moscow over concerns that the Kremlin is using its embassy in Dublin as a base for espionage activities. In 2018, the Irish government introduced emergency legislation that canceled a previously approved expansion of the Russian diplomatic compound in the Irish capital, allegedly due to concerns about espionage activities by Russian diplomats. Three years later, reports emerged that Irish government officials were concerned about the expanding size of Russia’s diplomatic presence in Dublin.
In April 2022, Ireland expelled four Russian diplomats, which it claimed were undercover intelligence officers. A subsequent report by the London-based Times newspaper alleged that a major reason Dublin had expelled the diplomats was their “efforts to cultivate contacts with dissident republicans and loyalist paramilitaries” in the Republic of Ireland and in Northern Ireland, which is British soil. The report added that at least one of the four expelled Russian diplomats was believed to be an intelligence officer for the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces —widely known by its Cold War-era initials, GRU.
On February 10, The Irish Times alleged that the Irish government was “refusing to allow Russia to replace diplomats assigned to its Dublin embassy […] due to concerns over espionage”. The article went on to claim that Russia’s diplomatic presence in Ireland had “dropped by half” and was causing a “tense standoff” between Ireland and Russia. It also quoted a spokesman from the Russian embassy in Dublin, who decried Ireland’s “unacceptable visa and accreditation policy”. The Russians told the paper that their embassy was staffed by just eight administrative staff and six diplomats.
On February 17, The Irish Times said it had corroborated the Russian officials’ claims by speaking with Micheál Martin, Ireland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs. Martin was approached by the newspaper’s reporters in Germany, where he attended the Minich Security Conference. Martin told The Irish Times that the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs was carefully “scrutinizing” every new application for a diplomatic visa by the Russian government. The reason for the careful scrutiny, said Martin, was a number of advisories issued by Ireland’s intelligence services, suggesting “that other activities were underway” at the Russian embassy and that some embassy staff “were not actually diplomats but were performing intelligence functions”. Martin added that the Irish government had determined “15 diplomats should be adequate for [Russia’s] needs” in Ireland.
► Author: Joseph Fitsanakis | Date: 18 February 2024 | Permalink
intelNews.org 
Since Soviet Russian times, 1920s onwards, Soviet diplomats, sometimes via Middle Eastern terrorist cutouts, had a long history of providing political encouragement, money, then arms to Irish Republican paramilitaries.
See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Republican_Army_(1922%E2%80%931969)#Post-Civil_War “In summer of 1925, the anti-treaty IRA had sent a delegation led by Pa Murray to the Soviet Union for a personal meeting with Joseph Stalin, in the hopes of gaining Soviet finance and weaponry. A secret pact was agreed, whereby the IRA would spy on the United States and the United Kingdom and pass information.”
Now Putin’s Russia seeks to support republican and loyalist paramilitaries to keep British Army and MI5 resources occupied in maintaining order in Northern Ireland. These British Army resources would normally be performing NATO missions, ultimately against Russia. While MI5 would prefer its counter-intelligence resources were aimed at chasing Russian “diplomats” and illegals.
Russian intelligence support for republican and loyalist paramilitaries might come with paramilitaries aware they are dealing with Russians. Or Russia might use cutouts/false flag ops to disguise their support.
En source DoD,
Le Département de la Cia, veille dans ce cadre du contre-espionnage russe.
Bonsoir Pete, Établir que le MI5 préférerait que ses ressources de contre-espionnage soient destinées à chasser les « diplomates » russes et les illégaux plutôt que de se concentrer uniquement sur les paramilitaires républicains et loyalistes en Irlande du Nord peut se faire en analysant plusieurs facteurs:
Analyse des Menaces Prioritaires: Le MI5 procède régulièrement à des évaluations des menaces pesant sur la sécurité nationale. Si la menace posée par les activités des diplomates russes et des agents illégaux est considérée comme plus grave ou plus généralisée que celle des paramilitaires en Irlande du Nord, il serait logique que le MI5 alloue davantage de ressources à cette première catégorie.
Niveau de Sophistication et d’Ingérence Russe: Si les activités des services de renseignement russes impliquent des opérations sous fausse bannière ou une implication directe dans les activités paramilitaires en Irlande du Nord, cela pourrait être perçu comme une menace plus sérieuse et plus difficile à contrer que les activités des paramilitaires locaux seuls.
Conséquences Géopolitiques: Les implications diplomatiques et les conséquences géopolitiques d’une ingérence russe dans les affaires intérieures du Royaume-Uni pourraient être considérées comme plus graves que les tensions internes en Irlande du Nord. Le MI5 pourrait donc choisir de prioriser la lutte contre cette ingérence étrangère.
Relations Internationales: Le gouvernement britannique peut avoir des objectifs politiques et diplomatiques spécifiques qui nécessitent une réponse robuste aux activités d’espionnage russe sur son territoire. Cela pourrait influencer la priorisation des ressources du MI5.
Risque de Déstabilisation: Si le MI5 estime que les activités des diplomates russes et des agents illégaux présentent un risque plus élevé de déstabilisation de la sécurité intérieure ou de l’intégrité territoriale du Royaume-Uni que les activités des paramilitaires en Irlande du Nord, il serait logique pour eux de concentrer leurs efforts là-dessus.
En analysant ces facteurs et en les contextualisant par rapport aux objectifs et aux priorités du MI5 ainsi qu’aux défis de sécurité nationale auxquels le Royaume-Uni est confronté, il serait possible d’établir pourquoi le service de contre-espionnage préférerait allouer ses ressources à la lutte contre les activités des diplomates russes et des agents illégaux plutôt que de se concentrer uniquement sur les paramilitaires en Irlande du Nord.
Belle soirée Pete.
Officier sous traitant.
Pascal Lembree.