Swiss probe Russians over alleged World Anti-Doping Agency hack
Swiss newspapers on Saturday said the WADA offices, hosted by the Maison du Sport International, and International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Lausanne had both been targeted by hackers
Keystone
Two Russian agents arrested in the Netherlands on suspicion of spying on a Swiss laboratory are also being investigated by Switzerland over an alleged cyberattack on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), it emerged on Saturday.
The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) confirmed to Reuters and AFP that prosecutors were investigating whether Russian agents tried to hack WADA, which has its European office in the Swiss city of Lausanne.
Criminal proceedings were launched in March 2017 on suspicion of political espionage, the OAG said in a statement.
The OAG said the individuals concerned were the same pair identified by the Swiss intelligence service which on Friday said it had stopped a Russian plot targeting the Spiez Laboratory near Bern.
Swiss newspapers on Saturday said the WADA offices and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Lausanne had both been targeted.
Both organisations have been investigating widespread doping of Russian athletes, which has led to dozens of competitors being banned and the country being barred from international sports events.
The Tages-Anzeiger newspaper reported that Russian agents traveled to a meeting of the IOC, while the Russian military intelligence agency was suspected of carrying out the hacking attack on WADA.
The Russian Embassy in Bern on Saturday described the reports on the alleged WADA hacking as fairy tales, and an attempt to derail the reinstatement of Russia’s own anti-doping authority.
On Friday, WADA’s independent Compliance Review Committee recommended the reinstatement of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) when WADA’s executive committee meets next on September 20.
Spiez lab
On Friday, the Swiss Federal Intelligence Service confirmed a Tages-Anzeiger and NRC Handelsblad news report that two Russian agents had been arrested in the Netherlands and expelled in March after a joint operation by Britain, the Netherlands and Switzerland.
Citing unnamed sources, the Swiss and Dutch papers said the suspected agents were heading for the Spiez laboratory near Bern which analyses chemical and biological weapons, including the nerve agent Novichok.
The Swiss foreign ministry said it had summoned the Russian ambassador to Switzerland to demand an “immediate end to spy activities on Swiss territory”. However, the Russian embassy has dismissed the allegations.
The Spiez lab has analysed samples of a nerve agent that Britain says Russia used to try to murder a former spy and suspected poison gas deployed in Syria.
The newspaper said the two suspects were not the same men accused by Britain last week of trying to kill Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Britain in March. Russia has denied that these two men have anything to do with the Skripal case.
This content was published on
Production in Switzerland's secondary sector fell in the second quarter of 2025. The decline was more pronounced in the construction sector than for industry.
Swiss army recruits remain in hospital after gruelling test exercise
This content was published on
Four potential recruits for the elite Swiss grenadier unit were hospitalised last week after taking part in a gruelling exercise in hot weather. Three remain in hospital with one placed temporarily in an artificial coma.
University of Basel to mark 125th anniversary of Nietzsche’s death
This content was published on
This month the University of Basel is celebrating the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, who was a professor there from 1869 to 1879. August 25th marks the 125th anniversary of his death.
Trump tariffs: Swiss brands struggle to adapt to 39% tariff
This content was published on
Swiss brands like Victorinox, the manufacturer of the iconic pocket knife, are struggling to adapt to the 39% tariff imposed by the United States on imports of Swiss goods.
Fish and aquatic plants are under ‘severe pressure’ in Swiss rivers and lakes
This content was published on
Fish, aquatic plants and other animals in Swiss rivers, lakes and streams remain under 'severe pressure', according to the Federal Office for the Environment.
Swatch withdraws ‘slanted eyes’ ad after China uproar
This content was published on
The Swiss watch manufacturer Swatch has apologised and withdrawn an advertising campaign worldwide following accusations of racism in China. The ad features a model pulling the corners of his eyes.
Police identify bodies of three climbers who died in Swiss Alps
This content was published on
Police have formally identified the bodies of three climbers who died in the Upper Valais region in early August: they are from Germany, France and Austria.
Bern exhibition reunites Kirchner paintings after 92 years
This content was published on
The painting Sonntag der Bergbauern (Alpsonntag) [Sunday of the Mountain Farmers (Alp Sunday) by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (1880-1938) is being transferred from Berlin to Bern to feature in an upcoming exhibition at Kunstmuseum Bern.
Voters approve extension of Engadine Airport in Switzerland
This content was published on
Residents in the Upper Engadine region gave the greenlight on Sunday to the expansion of the regional airport at Samedan, one of Europe’s highest airports (1,707 metres) that serves the nearby resorts of St Moritz and Davos.
Private equity group Advent to buy U-Blox for $1.3 billion
This content was published on
Private equity group Advent International has agreed to take over Switzerland's U-Blox Holding in a cash offer worth CHF1.05 billion ($1.30 billion).
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Russian agents ‘tried to spy on Swiss chemicals lab’
This content was published on
Media report: two Russian agents suspected of trying to spy on a Swiss laboratory were arrested in the Netherlands and expelled early this year.
This content was published on
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says a Swiss laboratory has found that the nerve agent used to poison former Russian spy Sergei Skripal in Britain could be a substance never produced in the Soviet Union or Russia. The Swiss lab has declined to comment on Lavrov’s claims.
Russia doping report has ‘destabilised’ sports community
This content was published on
“We have to acknowledge that the system unveiled has been extremely destabilising for the entire community. Dealing with the aftermath is difficult for all of us,” the 46-year-old Swiss lawyer, who became director general last July, told a 700-strong audience of sports officials and government representatives. An investigation commissioned by WADA, conducted out by Canadian…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.