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Portuguese Authorities Foil Alleged Attempt to Sell NATO Data to Russia
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A 23-year-old man in Portugal has been formally accused of espionage after allegedly trying to sell information taken from NATO military computer equipment to the Russian Embassy in Lisbon, according to Portugal Resident on February 18, citing Prosecutor General’s Office.
The case dates back to last year. Investigators say the suspect, who is currently in pre-trial detention, became aware of the “Initial Planning Conference” held at the Naval School in Alfeite, Almada, between February 3 and 7, 2025. Authorities have not disclosed his nationality.
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The conference was described as “world’s largest exercise dedicated to robotic experimentation with unmanned systems for the year 2025.” Approximately 300 people took part, most of them members of the military.
According to prosecutors, the man, “who made a living from theft,” deliberately booked a room at the same hotel where NATO personnel attending the conference were staying.
While there, he “appropriated a computer and an iPad” belonging to NATO and the Swedish Navy, which had been assigned to a military officer of the Alliance.
“Convinced that he had secret and classified material in his possession, (the young man) attempted to access and copy its contents and intended to collaborate with the Russian Federation,” the Prosecutor General’s Office said in a statement, according to Portugal Resident.
Investigators say the suspect approached the Russian Embassy in Lisbon in an effort to sell the information he believed he had obtained, “but was unsuccessful”.
During the inquiry, the Prosecutor General’s Office said the suspect “showed himself willing to collaborate with authorities, saying that there was a criminal organisation involved in espionage and breach of judicial secrecy, of which he was a part, along with eleven other people, including an inspector of the PJ judicial police.”
“However, according to the evidence gathered in the investigation, this version of events did not correspond to reality and was merely a ploy used by the defendant to divert attention away from himself,” the Prosecutor General’s Office added.
The case in Portugal comes amid broader concerns over alleged Russian intelligence activities abroad. In a separate development reported by NHK a Russian intelligence officer believed to have been operating under diplomatic cover in Japan has been accused of industrial espionage.
The suspect, who reportedly posed as a Ukrainian national, is suspected of gathering confidential technical information from a Japanese company between 2024 and 2025. The investigation centers on a man in his 30s who previously worked at Russia’s trade representation in Japan..
According to sources cited by NHK, the operative first approached an employee of a machine tool manufacturer on a street in Kanagawa Prefecture in late 2024. Presenting himself as a Ukrainian asking for directions, he later maintained contact with the Japanese employee for nearly two years.
Earlier, Germany ordered the departure of a Russian diplomat based in Berlin after authorities detained a woman holding both German and Ukrainian citizenship on suspicion of spying in connection with Russia’s war in Ukraine.
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