Russian intelligence recruited a member of the Irish parliament in 2019 as Moscow sought to inflame tensions between Ireland and Great Britain amid Brexit.
Politico writes about this with reference to sources in the Irish government and the justice system.
The MP was not accused of anything, as his actions formally did not constitute a crime — the investigators found no evidence that he handed over secret documents to Russia or received money from Moscow. He still remains a member of parliament. Journalists are not naming him because he is not an official suspect.
Russian spy Sergei Prokopyev, who allegedly recruited an Irish MP, was among four Russian embassy staff expelled from Ireland in March 2022. All of them were identified as employees of the military intelligence of the Russian Federation.
The British newspaper The Sunday Times reported that after his exile, Prokopyev continued to coordinate activities with the Irish legislator through an unnamed Russian agent. She [the agent] went to Dublin periodically to maintain a romantic relationship with an Irish politician.
Thus, Moscow, in particular, wanted to establish contacts with illegal armed groups in Northern Ireland. However, Politico says that the politician did not actually have such connections.
- Earlier, the Irish police stated that Russia is one of the few countries that try to spy on the territory of Ireland. Politico notes that Russian intelligence agents already have enough loyal informants in Brussels and Dublin.
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