Ukraine Peace Conference in Switzerland Set to Be Magnet for Russian Hackers: NZZ

Hugo Miller, Bloomberg News

(Bloomberg) -- There’s an “increased risk” of cyberattacks from Russian hackers at the Ukraine peace meeting to be held in Switzerland in June, NZZ am Sonntag reported.

Russia, which hasn’t been invited to the June 15-16 event in Burgenstock, is likely to seek ways to disrupt the gathering, the Swiss newspaper reported, citing IT experts and people within the Swiss Federal Office of Cybersecurity who it didn’t identify.

Separately, SonntagsZeitung reported that Switzerland has expelled no Russian diplomats since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, during which time Russia has added dozens of headcount in Bern and Geneva.

About one-third of Russia’s diplomatic contingent in Switzerland is believed to work in parallel with its military, foreign or domestic intelligence units, a Swiss intelligence official who wasn’t identified told the newspaper.

Swiss lawmakers on Monday are set to vote on a proposal that the country should “systematically” expel diplomats assessed to be involved in espionage.

Russia’s foreign ministry had no immediate response to an email seeking comment.

A spokesman for Switzerland’s foreign ministry confirmed that the country currently hosts 217 Russian diplomats: 75 to Swiss institutions and 142 to multilateral bodies, many of which are located in Geneva.

Switzerland will take action against any diplomats found to be undertaking illegal intelligence activity, the spokesman said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is pushing nations in Asia, Africa and South America to stay away from the Swiss conference.

Putin, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and other Russian officials have reached out to dozens of countries, from India to tiny Comoros, to deter participation at Burgenstock, according to a diplomatic memo seen by Bloomberg News.