Here is the link to the original article. I will post a translation at the bottom of this submission.
A link to the story first published by The New York Times can be found Here
Presentation statement:
According to the New York Times, the former adviser to the government in the Catalan region of Spain, Josep Luis Allai, has been in contact with stakeholders in Moscow to win their support for the independence movement. Many of the people he met are involved in the Kremlin intelligence community, including those involved in hybrid warfare. In a text message conversation obtained by The Times, Mr Ali wrote “We work for Americans,” referring to the KGB spies who inspired the TV show. Mr. Ali has been in contact with them. Moreover, he advised his circle to avoid making statements about Russia that might anger the government in order to maintain its support. In public, they act as pro-EU.
Of greatest concern is the Russian GRU 29155, which is responsible for carrying out sabotage and assassination operations. This unit is responsible for various incidents such as the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter, and several explosions in the Czech Republic and Serbia. According to the articles, the members of the unit were in Spain during the month of October 2017. Their activity is still under investigation, but according to French intelligence, the unit had a safe house in the French Pyrenees and made overland trips to avoid detection. They were in Barcelona in October 2017.
These articles are worth reading and discussing because they indicate that Russia is more actively involved in Spain than in other EU countries. Unlike with the US, Germany, France or the UK where Russia uses disinformation to destabilize elections and increase polarization through digital means, Moscow appears more intent on getting bogged down in a potential breakup of an EU member state to further its goal of destabilizing European Union and NATO.
Edited for typos.
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