Slovakia resumes military ties with Russia, reviving spying concerns
Slovakia has sent military officers to Moscow and plans to receive a Russian military attaché in Bratislava, reviving concerns about espionage.
Slovakia has restored military-diplomatic ties with Russia for the first time since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, sending two officers to Moscow and preparing to receive a Russian military attaché in Bratislava, Deutsche Welle reported, according to Digi24 and Ziarul de Gardă.
Brigadier General Slavomír Staviarsky and his deputy, Colonel Ivo Gahir, were sent to Moscow, with Staviarsky in the Russian capital since early August, according to Slovak public broadcaster STVR. Slovakia's defence ministry has not said when a Russian officer will arrive in Bratislava.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico raised restoring military attaché posts when he met Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in May, saying ties between the two countries should go beyond energy supplies.
Opposition politicians and defence experts warned the move could help Russia's intelligence-gathering and influence operations. Former MP Martin Poliāčik said NATO allies should be concerned both about the incoming Russian officer's activities and the political climate in which he would operate. Retired Lieutenant-General Pavel Macko called it "a very serious step" by Fico's government, pointing to a foiled plot to burn down a Ukrainian-owned drone factory in eastern Slovakia and suspected links between incidents in Munich and Leipzig and Russian operations run from Slovakia.
Slovak officials defended the move, saying it would help gather intelligence and maintain diplomatic representation. Richard Glück, a lawmaker from Fico's Smer party, said Slovakia had been "losing a lot of information" with no attaché in Moscow, noting that the United States, Britain and France still have military diplomats there.
The prospect of a new Russian military attaché revived memories of a 2021 espionage case involving Sergei Solomasov, then deputy military attaché at Russia's Bratislava embassy, who was filmed recruiting and paying a contributor to a pro-Russian website. Solomasov was expelled from Slovakia, and the website contributor was later convicted of espionage and bribery.
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What we know
- 2+ outlets · Ziarul de Gardă, Digi24 Slovakia has sent two military officers to Moscow and is preparing to receive a Russian military attaché in Bratislava, the first such exchange since 2022.
- 2+ outlets · Ziarul de Gardă, Digi24 PM Robert Fico raised restoring the posts when he met Vladimir Putin in May, saying ties should go beyond energy.
- 2+ outlets · Ziarul de Gardă, Digi24 Opposition figures and defence experts warn the move could aid Russian espionage and influence operations in Slovakia.
- 2+ outlets · Ziarul de Gardă, Digi24 A Fico-party lawmaker defended the move, saying Slovakia had been losing intelligence with no attaché in Moscow.
- 2+ outlets · Ziarul de Gardă, Digi24 The move revives memories of a 2021 case in which a Russian deputy military attaché in Bratislava was expelled for espionage.
Not yet confirmed
- Unconfirmed Opposition-linked defence experts' identification of the incoming Russian attaché as Maxim Verezan, which Slovakia's defence ministry has not confirmed.
How each fact is established: Verified checked by an ECTV editorOfficial stated by an official body2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reportedHow we label facts
Why it matters for Europe
Slovakia is a NATO and EU member, and Prime Minister Fico's government has pursued warmer ties with Moscow than most allies since taking power. Restoring military attaché posts cut after Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine is being watched by other NATO members for what it signals about Slovakia's alignment, especially given warnings from a former senior Slovak officer that Russian hybrid activity against Slovakia and its neighbours continues to increase.
Sources
Reported by 2 reports from 2 independent outlets in 2 countries.
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Questions and answers
- What has Slovakia done with Russia?
- It has sent two military officers to Moscow and is preparing to receive a Russian military attaché in Bratislava, restoring ties cut since 2022.
- Why are critics concerned?
- Opposition politicians and defence experts warn a Russian military attaché could help Moscow's intelligence-gathering and influence operations in Slovakia.
- Has this happened before?
- Yes. In 2021 a Russian deputy military attaché in Bratislava was expelled after being filmed recruiting and paying an informant; the informant was later convicted of espionage.
This article was written with AI assistance from 2 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.