Intelligence ops Archives - Page 2 of 33 - Robert Lansing Institute

The Italian Schengen visa scandal demonstrates how corruption and informal intermediary

In Rome, former Italian Ambassador to Uzbekistan Piergabrielle Papadia was arrested on charges of organizing a corruption scheme for issuing long-term Schengen visas to Russian citizens. According to investigators, the diplomat, acting…

May 11, 2026Italy, Russia

Intelligence ops migration Terrorism

The Lukashenko Regime Has Resumed the Flow of Irregular Migrants to Destabilize Security on the EU’s Eastern Border

Belarus has continued to systematically direct migrants toward the Latvian border. According to the Latvian Border Guard, following a relatively calm winter, a steady flow of irregular migrants resumed in…

May 1, 2026Belarus, Russia

Intelligence ops National Security Warfare

Italy as a Gateway: Russian Elite Networks, Criminal Ecosystems, Intelligence and Hybrid Influence in Southern Europe

Italy remains the leading country in the Schengen Area in terms of the number of visas issued to Russian citizens (152,000 in 2025), which enabled the visa operator VMS to increase its revenue by…

April 22, 2026Italy, Russia

Geopolitics Governance ideology Intelligence ops

Moscow’s New Left: The ‘Sovintern’ Project and the Revival of Ideological Warfare

The leader of A Just Russia, Sergey Mironov, announced the creation of an international network called “Sovintern,” which, under the slogan of “Socialism 2.0,” aims to unite more than 100 left-wing parties…

April 16, 2026Russia, Sovintern, SVR

Geopolitics Intelligence ops

Institutional Dependency Behind Formal Independence: The Estonian Orthodox Church and Russian Influence Operations

According to the Estonian Internal Security Service, the Estonian Christian Orthodox Church (ECOC), despite formally declaring administrative independence from the Russian Orthodox Church in 2025, continues to operate within a framework of de…

April 15, 2026Estonia, Orthodox church, Russia

Conflict Energy Geoeconomics Intelligence ops

Explosives Near Pipeline in Serbia — Actors, Motives, and Political Implications

Executive Summary The discovery of explosives near a major gas pipeline in northern Serbia—part of the TurkStream/Balkan Stream system supplying Russian gas to Hungary—is a highly politicized and strategically sensitive incident. While…

April 6, 2026GRU, Hungary, Serbia, Ukraine

Geopolitics Intelligence ops Propaganda and Disinformation

How Vladimir Putin Is Trying to Rescue His Ally Viktor Orbán Ahead of Hungary’s Parliamentary Elections

On the eve of Hungary’s parliamentary elections, Moscow grew increasingly concerned that Prime Minister Viktor Orbán might lose power. With the opposition Tisza Party and its leader Péter Magyar gaining…

March 24, 2026Hungary, Russia, Ukraine

Intelligence ops National Security Psyops Terrorism

Risk Assessment: Threats Against the U.S. Vice President During a Visit to Hungary

The risk of a politically motivated hostile act against the U.S. Vice President during a visit to Hungary should be assessed as elevated in terms of political sensitivity, but constrained by a…

March 23, 2026Hungary, Russia, USA

Governance Intelligence ops Propaganda and Disinformation

Moscow’s Election Playbook: Russian Political Technologists and Hungary’s 2026 Vote

The Kremlin is openly assisting Hungary’s ruling Fidesz party in its election campaign, effectively turning the April parliamentary elections into a vote on whether the country will move closer to the European Union or…

March 17, 2026ASP, Hungary, Russia

Intelligence ops

Russia’s SVR Turns Vienna into a Hub for Signals Intelligence Operations

Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service of Russia has transformed Vienna into a hub for electronic and satellite intelligence operations. Moscow has turned the Austrian capital into a center of satellite espionage, using diplomatic facilities to…

March 16, 2026Austria, Russia, SVR