Russia still plans to extend Dublin embassy’s espionage role, say experts

Russian intelligence services are still planning to significantly upgrade Russia’s Irish embassy’s espionage capabilities, security experts believe, despite the Irish Government’s efforts to block its expansion.

The sprawling complex on Orwell Road in south Dublin has been used as a major base for Russian intelligence for years, particularly in the area of communications interceptions.

A significant proportion of the Garda’s Security and Intelligence unit is tasked with monitoring suspected Russian intelligence agents operating out of the embassy.

The Defence Forces intelligence division, known as J2, also conducts limited work in the area, sometimes using the Army Ranger Wing to carry out surveillance activities.

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Sources point to the relatively large number of diplomatic staff registered as working in the embassy as evidence of Russian espionage activities.

There are currently 31 staff known to be working in the embassy. This is more than many other European countries' Dublin embassies including the UK (22), Poland (10), Germany (12) and France (19).

Russia’s embassy in London has a similar number of staff to its Irish operation.

"Just take the numbers," a security source said. "Russia doesn't have huge trade links with Ireland. Or cultural links. There are probably less than 9,000 Russians living here, far less than there are Poles. So why do they need so many staff?"

‘Filatov out’

There have been increasing calls over the last week, including from Government TDs, for the expulsion of the ambassador, Yury Filatov, in the wake of his country's invasion of Ukraine. On Sunday, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the ambassador's residence shouting "expel Russian spies" and "Filatov out".

The Government is expected, along with other EU countries, to order some of Russian diplomats to leave Ireland. However it will not expel Mr Filatov in order to keep diplomatic channels open, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said.

Gardaí began paying close attention to Russian espionage operations here about a decade ago and were surprised by the extent of their activities.

These included the monitoring of Irish communications, the use of Ireland as a base to send agents to the UK and industrial espionage operations. There have also been efforts to intercept EU-related communications concerning negotiations between member states.

"Due to the absence of a mature security culture and architecture in Ireland, we're also seen as a soft target in Europe so we can be used as a training ground for new agents, or a logistics hub for other operations across the continent," a security source said.

The GRU, Russia’s military intelligence branch, conducts the majority of espionage activity in Ireland while its foreign intelligence service, the SVR, has a more limited role.

Russian embassies are frequently used as espionage bases, said Ed Burke, associate professor in international relations at the University of Nottingham.

“There is significant overlap between Russia’s intelligence services. The SVR is relatively weaker than military intelligence. GRU is seen as the more active, more ruthless of the services and is closer to [Russian president Vladimir] Putin himself,” he said.

Intelligence operations

In 2015, Russia announced plans to vastly expand its Dublin embassy, including by extending the main consular building and constructing a new three-storey external accommodation building which would be linked to the main premises.

The move caused alarm in Irish security circles as experts believed the improvements were partly to allow for an expansion of Russian intelligence operations.

In 2018, the Government passed legislation allowing it to block planning applications on national security grounds. In April 2020, then minister for housing Eoghan Murphy used this legislation to block much of the planned expansion on the basis that it was "likely to be harmful to the security and defence of the State and the State's relations with other states".

The embassy rejected the allegations and said there was nothing out of the ordinary about the planned expansion.

Planning documents show some building work continued in the aftermath of the decision. Over the last two years, there has been progress on several building projects which were not the subject of the blocking order, including on an underground carpark.

“They’re still working to increase the capabilities of the embassy and the number of people operating out of there. Some of those capabilities will be covert and not in the State’s interests, I’ll put it that way,” said a security source.

Earlier this month, Mr Filatov appeared before an Oireachtas Committee to answer questions on Russian naval exercises off the Irish coast. He told the committee Russia was still in talks with the Government over expanding the main building.

The Russian embassy did not respond to request for comment on Monday.