Swiss colonel alleged to have handed information to Russia

The headquarters of the OSCE in Vienna, Austria. Keystone

A Swiss army colonel has been recalled from abroad after being accused of passing on information to Russia in summer 2024, according to Swiss public broadcaster, SRF.

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The man at the centre of the affair is a colonel who has worked for the defence ministry for over 20 years, most recently holding various important posts abroad. Until mid-2024, he worked at the Swiss representation to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), based in Vienna.

However, for more than six months now, the man has been back in Switzerland – involuntarily. Several people told SRF Investigativ that he was suspended after being suspected of having passed on information to Russia in summer 2024.

Upon request, the defence ministry confirmed that it was “aware of allegations as to why the employee in question was recalled to Switzerland at the end of 2024”.

Passing on a document

Other voices in the man’s professional environment are critical of the suspension, which they say is disproportionate and based on a single incident in which the colonel handed a document on to the Russian delegation in Vienna – a document which was in any case shared across the entire OSCE just a few hours later.

Several people familiar with the case suspect Swiss authorities only reacted so harshly after coming under pressure from other states.

Secret service involvement

However, SRF Investigativ’s research shows that the case is not only being investigated by the defence ministry. It is also a matter for the intelligence services, whose two parliamentary supervisory authorities – the AB-ND and the GPDel – have been informed.

Military criminal authorities – which come into play when, for example, military personnel are suspected of a criminal offence – are also looking into the affair. According to the defence ministry, the military justice authorities have initiated an investigation, with the presumption of innocence applying. The ministry is not providing any further details for reasons of privacy.

Who exactly are military prosecutors investigating? Is it just a case of disclosing a single document or are there other allegations? The scope of the affair remains unclear. In military criminal law, the scale can range from minor to serious offences such as divulging military secrets or espionage.

The Swiss colonel himself told SRF he was not authorised to discuss official matters. Several people familiar with the case told SRF that he is currently fighting for his reinstatement.

Swiss OSCE chairmanship

The OSCE post in Vienna is key for Switzerland, as the country is set to take over the chairmanship of the organisation in 2026. Dealing with Russia within the OSCE is likely to remain an important issue.

In response to an enquiry, the foreign ministry meanwhile writes that Switzerland will “be in contact with all OSCE states next year, including Russia”. Dialogue and cooperation with all participating states is the only way to find peaceful and sustainable solutions to wars, crises and conflicts, according to the ministry.

The OSCE is the only regional security organisation which brings together East and West, i.e. Russia and the US. However, media reports in recent years have suggested that work within the organisation has been blocked and that Russia is exploiting it for sabotage and espionage.

Translated from German by DeepL/dos

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