As Ukrinform reports, this is covered in the investigation by the Austrian publication JETZT

An officer of Russia’s GRU, linked to a special unit for sabotage operations abroad, visited Austria for years and established contacts with an engineer at VTA Austria GmbH – a company that is part of the global wastewater treatment network.

This investigation clarifies the interaction between Russian intelligence and the Austrian company, as well as the context of using the technologies in countries around the world, including Ukraine.

Key Findings of the Investigation

The article reveals details of how the GRU considered opportunities to engage with VTA and how the company’s technologies help purify wastewater for more than 250 million people worldwide, including Ukraine.

It is noted that as early as 2012 the company planned to enter the Russian market and over several years analyzed the sales and deployment of its technologies in the Russian Federation. Amid these contacts, private companies emerged operating under the VTA name, notably VTA Eurasia, which was positioned as the official representative of the Austrian firm.

VTA Austria GmbH’s Position and Case Details

In VTA Austria GmbH itself, they denied any ties to Russian companies or activities in Russia related to the investigation.

Serhiy K., head of the VTA Eurasia sales department, according to the investigation, is connected with the GRU. He allegedly established contacts with an Austrian VTA engineer who, between 2013 and 2019, visited Russia 13 times.

It is also noted that Serhiy K. traveled to Austria several times between 2017 and 2021, visited the VTA office and laboratory, and exchanged messages with the engineer via social networks. The engineer denied suspecting Serhiy K.’s activities or knowing about his work at VTA Eurasia.

According to DSN – Austria’s counterintelligence – Serhiy K.’s identity could only be established in 2024.

The agency stated that the investigation is not aimed at the employees of VTA Austria GmbH; the company and the engineer continue to cooperate with authorities and security services.