Ex-CIA officer warns of Russian 'illegals' operating in Finland

ISTANBUL

A former US intelligence officer has alleged that Russian deep-cover spies are active in Finland and that the country is already engaged in a “secret war” with Moscow through hybrid operations.

Sean Wiswesser, a former officer with the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) who has tracked Russian President Vladimir Putin for decades, told Finland’s public broadcaster Yle in Helsinki on Sunday that Russia continues to deploy sophisticated intelligence and disinformation tactics to destabilize Western democracies.

“Moscow seeks out divisive issues, immigration, unemployment, defense, to foster distrust and weaken policymaking,” Wiswesser said.

According to him, Russia views Finland as a key target in its broader hybrid warfare campaign, relying on cyber operations, propaganda, and covert influence rather than traditional military force.

“Whether Finland knows or appreciates it or not, you already were in a secret war with Russia and their intelligence services before you joined NATO,” he said.

Wiswesser argued that Putin’s long-term goal remains to restore the geopolitical influence once held by the Soviet Union.

“Putin himself has said that the collapse of the Soviet Union was the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century. He has never accepted it and seeks to reverse it at any cost,” he said.

The former CIA officer warned that Russia continues to deploy so-called “illegals,” highly trained intelligence officers living under false identities, across Europe and NATO countries.

“I can guarantee you that there are Russian intelligence officers in Finland living normal lives across different parts of society. They are in all NATO countries,” he said.

“It is a game of chess with them, and unfortunately, Finland is outnumbered by the Russian intelligence services.”

Wiswesser said Russia’s domestic intelligence agency, the FSB, alone employs about 100,000 agents, giving Moscow a significant operational advantage.

He said Russia prefers hybrid tactics to direct confrontation, using cyberattacks, propaganda, and financial leverage as primary tools.

“Russia will not cross borders with tanks. It attacks through the internet, propaganda, disinformation and financial leverage,” he said.

He also warned that Finland’s long border with Russia poses ongoing security challenges.

“Parts of it are not as closely monitored as they should be. It is a risk that Russia knows how to exploit,” he added.

Wiswesser emphasized that Moscow’s strategic patience contrasts with Western political cycles.

“Putin and his apparatus think decades ahead. In the West, the political cycle is four years. Russia’s advantage is that it can wait,” he said.

Finland joined NATO in April 2023, ending decades of military non-alignment in response to Russia’s war on Ukraine. Since then, Helsinki has reinforced its eastern border and boosted its cybersecurity and counterintelligence capacities.