Russian intelligence recruited an Irish MP as a propaganda mole and as an emissary. Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris says he is not surprised.
Two high-ranking Irish government and judicial officials made the announcement to Poitico.
Sources told Politico that the MP was recruited in 2019 as Russia tried to stoke Brexit-related tensions between Ireland and Great Britain, particularly in the British region of Northern Ireland. Officials refused to name the deputy.
The media claim that the MP was recruited by Sergei Prokopyev, a Russian spy who was among four Russian embassy staff expelled from Ireland in March 2022. All of them were identified as the GRU agents.
Politico believes that the recruited politician is a member of the left-wing opposition, not the three-party government led by Harris, which supports Ukraine.
Officials told reporters that the police ordered the deputy to cease contact, but he did not obey. According to them, an investigation into his conduct found no evidence that he received money from the Russians or gave them documents that constitute state secrets.
The Sunday Times reported that the MP was recruited by the Russians, among other things, to develop contacts with illegal paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland, particularly "loyalist" extremists from the British Protestant community.
One official told Politico that the approach, if confirmed, would mean the Russians "know nothing" about Irelandʼs political landscape. The official noted that the MP in question "has as many contacts in loyalist paramilitary circles as Walter Mitty", alluding to the fictional character with a vivid fantasy life.
When reporters asked Harris if there was a Russian intelligence mole operating in Parliament, the Irish prime minister said he could not confirm the information, but added: "It shouldnʼt come as a surprise to any of us."
Harris noted that such Russian intelligence efforts have increased in Ireland, as elsewhere, since Moscow launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
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