Russia’s illegal support officers within the Russian intelligence services are having a conniption as their deep cover officers continue to be rolled up across Europe in 2022. The Norwegian Police Security Service (Politiets sikkerhetstjeneste (PST)) announced the arrest and detention of an individual documented as a Brazilian citizen, whom the PST tells us is in reality a Russian intelligence officer.
The accusation made by the PST to the courts is that “Jose Assis Giammaria” a Brazilian researcher at the University of Tromsø is in reality a Russian intelligence officer and not an academic and has requested he be expelled from Norway. The deputy chief of the PST, Hedvig Moe, told the Norwegian public media company NRK that the PST believed Giammaria “may have acquired a network and information about Norway’s policy in the north.” She continued, “Even if this is not a threat to the security of the kingdom, we are worried it could be misused by Russia.”
For those unfamiliar with the geography of the north of Norway, the country shares a land border with Russia.
The PST has a clear-eyed view of Russia
The PST was prescient in their 2022 annual National Threat Assessment when they noted how they were devoting “special attention to the tradecraft used by Russian and Chinese intelligence operations.” The PST minced no words as they described how “Russian intelligence officers will persist in trying to recruit sources and contacts with access to the information they seek.” Furthermore, Russia (and others) willingness “to go to great lengths and do not rule out using unlawful means to obtain technology and knowledge.”
Giammaria’s activities
Giammaria arrived in Norway in December 2021, according to Gunhild Hoogensen Gjørv, a professor in security studies at the university, who shared her insight with The Guardian. We learn from Gjørv that she was contacted by Giammaria who requested permission to study with her department, focusing on Artic security.
Gjørv continued how Giammaria had been recommended by a trusted Canadian professor under who he had studied. Indeed, Gjørv noted that a background check had been conducted and his references checked out. The Canadian CBC notes that he graduated from the University of Calgary in the fall of 2018 with a Master of Strategic Studies and in “In 2019, Giammaria wrote an article for The Canadian Naval Review, advocating for the potential of establishing bases in the Canadian arctic.” His “research” according to Gjørv was “self-funded” and he had no access to classified information. That said, his page on the university’s website notes that he is part of two research groups at the university, The Grey Zone which focuses on hybrid threats and warfare and War and Peace Dynamics, which focuses on “examining the diverse issues and challenges related to war and peace dynamics.”
Moe emphasized in her NRK interview, how the “PST has collaborated with other countries’ security services in this case.”
2022 Europe Neutralized Illegals
Perhaps both Italy and The Netherlands were included in the liaison collaboration with the PST. In August we wrote of Russian illegal, Olga Kolobova, who apparently was targeting NATO personnel in Italy and who vanished as her legend unraveled and she fled Italy. And in June of Russian illegal, Sergey Vladimirovich Cherkasov, who targeted the International Criminal Court in The Netherlands and was also living under the Brazilian identity of Viktor Muller Ferrira.
Russia recon has been ongoing
Russia has been conducting low-level reconnaissance of the northern area of Norway through a legal traveler initiative where travelers into the area have been using drones in the vicinity of sensitive installations. As of October 25, 7 Russians have been arrested for this type of activity.
