Switzerland Today

Dear Swiss Abroad,

We are being watched. Well, not exactly you and me. But Swiss officials handling state secrets and diplomats working in Geneva should be wary.

Switzerland has become a target for Russian and Chinese spies looking to get some inside info that will give their country a strategic advantage.

This content was published on June 26, 2023 - 18:00

2 minutes

Swissinfo.ch's India specialist covers a wide range of issues from bilateral relations to Bollywood. He also knows a thing or two about Swiss watchmaking and is partial to the French-speaking part of Switzerland. 

Switzerland Security Report: Spies in diplomats’ clothing

The threat posed by spying by Russia and China remains high, according to the annual report by the Swiss intelligence servicesExternal link.

“In Europe, Switzerland is one of the states with the highest number of Russian intelligence officers operating under diplomatic cover, in part due to its role as a host to international organisations,” stated a press release on Switzerland’s Security 2023 report published today.

The report warns that the threat to Switzerland has increased ever since it assumed membership of the United Nations (UN) Security Council this year.

Counter-surveillance: Inside the Swiss intelligence community

Ever wonder what it would be like to join the Swiss intelligence services? Swiss public broadcaster, RTS, managed to visitExternal link our own version of the Pentagon and talk to those protecting the country from terror attacks.

Day-to-day work is less James Bond and more like a standard office job it seems. A normal job where you’re required to lie effectively, including to your loved ones.

De-collection: Museum selling artworks to survive

The Langmatt Museum in Baden is planning to sell a few artworks to finance a costly renovation. Works of art in its collection include Impressionists and post-Impressionists like Monet, Cézanne and Gaugin. The so-called “de-collection”External link has angered some supporters of the museum. Public broadcaster, SRF, takes a look at the this trend of museum fundraising.

Award winning story: Floating nuclear plant in the Russian Arctic

“In Pevek, on the coast of Siberia, the Russian government has sent a floating nuclear power plant to promote the development of the Arctic. A Chernobyl of the Ice in one of the most unstable and fragile regions in the world.”

Italian journalist Mario Mian won the True Story Award worth CHF25,000 at a ceremony held in Bern on Friday. SWI swissinfo.ch was an official partner of the event and was able to re-publish his fascinating reportage in a region normally out-of-bounds for journalists, even Russian ones.