Secret service reports

Moscow coordinated contract killing from Vienna

The Russian defector Maxim Kuzminov

(Bild: AP ( via APA) Austria Presse Agentur)

The Russian defector Maxim Kuzminov was killed in Spain at the beginning of the year. Now it is known: The Kremlin apparently coordinated the contract killing from Vienna, as the US newspaper "Wall Street Journal" has learned from various intelligence services. 

The helicopter pilot Kuzminov had flown from Russia to Ukraine in a fully equipped Mi-8 army helicopter in August last year. The Russian is said to have received the equivalent of 460,000 euros from Kiev for this. The defector then went into hiding in Spain, but was quickly tracked down.

The man's body with several gunshot wounds was found in February in an underground garage of an apartment building in Villajoyosa near Alicante on the Mediterranean. The burnt-out getaway car of the perpetrator(s) was found nearby shortly afterwards.

What role does Austria play?
The contract killing was coordinated by the Kremlin from Vienna, reports the Wall Street Journal. The US newspaper spoke to ten people from secret services in Austria, the USA and other European countries for its investigation. 

Fault in the system?

• Spying is permitted in Austria.
• However, if the activity is directed against the Republic, the law applies.
• In other words: Russia is allowed to spy on other states or unwelcome persons in Austria.

The number of Russian officials in Austria has risen from around 400 to over 500 in the past two years. Almost half of them are active as spies.

Spy equipment on rooftops
The Russian representations in Vienna are housed in around 40 buildings, many of which are equipped with surveillance devices on the roofs. State television in Moscow had already reported in the fall that the Russian secret service had received the order to kill the "traitor to the fatherland" Kuzminov.

Intelligence information indicated that large sums of cash were being transferred to Austria by land. This money was used in Vienna to pay the contract killers, among other things, the US newspaper continues.

Vienna as a central hub
These funds are distributed in Europe by Russian "diplomats" in personal belongings that the police are not allowed to inspect due to diplomatic immunity.

According to the report, Austria has become a hub for Russian secret operations. This includes the coordination of financial and logistical support for assassinations, sabotage and recruitment throughout Europe.