Portugal duped: Russian spy granted citizenship as local's son
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 agency.
- International cooperation of services: The dismantling of the spy group was made possible through 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 approximately in his thirties, according to Portuguese security service accounts, was reportedly given a Portuguese passport. The services were unaware of his true identity or espionage activities at the time.
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 was granted the right to permanent residency. The couple left Portugal several times and returned to Porto without encountering any issues.
According to the investigation, Danilova was expected to leave Portugal for good initially, followed by her husband.
What were the international actions in this case?
According to Portuguese investigators, the Danilovs were part of a larger Russian group that, after living in Brazil under new identities as Brazilian citizens, conducted intelligence activities in several countries around the world.
The group was ultimately dismantled thanks to the collaboration of counterintelligence services from eight countries, including the USA, Portugal, Brazil, and Uruguay.
