Portugal's unmasked reputation: Russian spy granted citizenship
Portugal granted citizenship to a Russian spy who pretended to be the son of a Portuguese man. In 2018, the man arrived there with his wife from Brazil, according to an investigation by Portuguese security services cited on Saturday by the Lisbon weekly "Sol".
What do you need to know?
- Russian spy received Portuguese citizenship: In 2018, the Russian arrived in Portugal claiming to be a Brazilian citizen with a Portuguese father. This allowed him to obtain a Portuguese passport.
- Espionage activities in Porto: The pair of Russian spies, using false Brazilian identities, conducted intelligence activities in Porto, as revealed by an investigation by the Portuguese counterintelligence.
- International cooperation of services: The dismantling of the spy group was possible thanks to the cooperation of counterintelligence services from eight countries, including the USA, Portugal, and Brazil.
How did the Russian obtain Portuguese citizenship?
In 2018, the Russian, claiming to be Manuel Francisco Steinbruck Pereira, arrived in Portugal with his wife. He claimed to be Brazilian with a Portuguese father, which enabled him to obtain citizenship.
The Russian, who was about 30 years old at the time, according to the accounts of Portuguese services, was supposed to receive a passport from that country. The services were not aware of his true identity or espionage activities.
What did the Portuguese counterintelligence investigation uncover?
The investigation revealed that the Russian and his wife Yekaterina Leonidovna Danilova used false Brazilian documents. Although Danilova did not receive a Portuguese passport, she had the right to permanent residency. The couple left Portugal several times and returned to Porto without any problems.
According to the investigation, Danilova was supposed to leave Portugal for good first, after which her husband did the same.
What were the international actions in this case?
According to the findings of Portuguese investigators, the Danilovs were part of a larger Russian group that, after staying in Brazil under a new identity as citizens of that country, conducted intelligence activities in several countries around the world.
The group was ultimately dismantled thanks to the cooperation of counterintelligence services from eight countries, including the USA, Portugal, Brazil, and Uruguay.
