Ireland's Security Chief Links Russia to Espionage Activities in Ireland

In a radio interview on Aug. 4, Michael McElgunn, assistant commissioner of Ireland's national police force, revealed that Russia is among a small group of hostile foreign states involved in espionage operations within Ireland.

"What we're particularly concerned about is a handful of states who are engaged in spying activities on sovereign soil with malign intent," McElgunn told RTE Radio. "If we look at events in Europe and we look at the Russian Federation invasion of Ukraine, I don't think too many viewers would be surprised if I were to say that Russia were one of these states."

McElgunn, who leads the security and intelligence bureau of the Garda Siochana, Ireland's national police, was cautious about directly labeling Russia as a hostile state due to Ireland's diplomatic relations with Russia.

"Russia is one of the countries that we have an interest in in the general space," he said.

He added that the Garda is actively monitoring certain individuals suspected of espionage and that Ireland works closely with international partners in these issues.

"We work very closely internationally in that regard because a lot of these hostile state agents will move and we work with our colleagues to have an understanding of who might be in our state from time to time and to manage entry in and out of the state by people of that nature," he said.

In recent months, authorities have detained multiple individuals alleged to be conducting espionage for the Russian Federation within several countries, sparking concerns about Russian influence across Europe.

Irish government has maintained its policy of not supplying lethal military aid to Kyiv, yet it has recognized Russia's war against Ukraine as an act of genocide.