A former US intelligence officer suggests Russian deep-cover spies are active in Finland.
Sean Wiswesser, a former CIA officer, spoke on Russian strategy at Oodi library in Helsinki on 14 October.
Finland is a key target of Russia’s hybrid operations, according to Sean Wiswesser, a former US intelligence officer, who spoke to Yle during a recent visit to Helsinki.
Wiswesser is a former officer of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) who has tracked Russian President Vladimir Putin for decades.
He emphasised the effectiveness of intelligence and disinformation in Moscow’s strategy to undermine the political climate in the west.
“Moscow seeks out divisive issues — immigration, unemployment, defence — to foster distrust and weaken policymaking,” he told Yle.
According to Wiswesser, the Russian president aims to restore the former Soviet Union’s influence.
“Putin himself has said that the collapse of the Soviet Union was the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the twentieth century. He has never accepted it and seeks to reverse it at any cost,” Wiswesser explained.
Wiswesser argues that Putin’s power relies on Russia’s intelligence services.
“They are used to playing a dirty game,” he said. “In Finland and other countries bordering Russia, this is particularly evident in hybrid warfare and cyber threats.”
“Finland already in a secret war”
Wiswesser said Finland has become an increasingly important target for Russian intelligence and is part of a wider hybrid war.
“Whether Finland knows or appreciates it or not, you already were in a secret war with Russia and their intelligence services before you joined Nato,” he said.
Wiswesser said he believes Russia is unlikely to attack Finland militarily, preferring influence operations instead.
“Russia will not cross borders with tanks. It attacks through the internet, propaganda, disinformation and financial leverage,” he said.
Finland is a central element of Nato’s northern defence, Wiswesser noted.
“Finland has a long border with Russia. Parts of it are not as closely monitored as they should be. It is a risk that Russia knows how to exploit,” he added.
Russia also relies on ‘illegals,’ highly trained spies operating in the west under assumed identities, Wiswesser said.
“I can guarantee you that there are Russian intelligence officers in Finland living normal lives across different parts of society. They are in all Nato countries,” he said.
“It is a game of chess with them, and unfortunately, Finland is outnumbered by the Russian intelligence services,” he said, noting that Russia’s domestic spy agency, the FSB, alone has 100,000 agents.
Moscow takes a long-term view of events, according to Wiswesser.
“Putin and his apparatus think decades ahead. In the west, the political cycle is four years. Russia’s advantage is that it can wait,” he noted.
He also said Russia seeks to influence by appealing to people’s emotions. “Recognising their methods puts you a step ahead.”