Think tank presents report on involvement of retired NATO officers in Russia’s “active measures” abroad

The Center for Defense Reforms published a report on the participation of retired officers from the armies and intelligence agencies of NATO member states in Russian active measures aimed at weakening Western nations, destroying relations between NATO and EU, and isolating individual members of the respective alliances, justifying Russian aggression, and undermining military-technical assistance to Ukraine.

The report is part of a joint project with Guildhall to investigate subversive activities of Russian intelligence services, Ukrinform reports.

The study looks into Russia exploiting in its malign operations on foreign soil retired operatives from France, the USA, Germany, Italy, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, and Switzerland.

The report considers the participation in the active events of the Russian Federation of retired officers of the following states - France, the USA, Germany, Italy, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, and also Switzerland.

“Since the beginning of Russian aggression against Ukraine there has been high demand for military and political analysts in Western societies. Therefore retired officers from security, defense and law enforcement agencies enhanced their efforts in key Western countries which resulted in their growing impact on social and political agenda in relevant countries. Such officers often seem to have close personal, business, and professional links to Russia," reads the introduction to the report.

They also participate in campaigns revealing active measures "in order to disrupt military and technical aid to Ukraine, justify Russian aggression, eradicate the relationships between NATO and EU and isolate separate union members," which is why they deserve particular attention, experts note.

Analysts stress that the long-lasting nature of Russia's war against Ukraine and current geopolitical escalation lead to public demand for "military politicians rather than military analysts."

This can be illustrated by the recent presidential elections in Czech Republic that brought a former NATO high-rank general Petr Pavel to power, according to the report. "Russia seems to make use of such phenomena and therefore intensifies its covert agent network to influence political agenda in Western countries," the study says.

However, it is noted that such tendency “poses a serious threat to the political union" of NATO and the EU, as well as the national security of relevant governments, since such a positive example of the Czech Republic "can also lead to adverse alternative scenarios.”