Russian leisure groups are under suspicion for visiting critical infrastructure. One member vehemently contradicts: They want to integrate – not spy.
April 11, 2026, 08:34April 11, 2026, 08:34
Dimitry* contacted CH Media on Friday. By email, signed obviously with a hint of sarcasm: “Russian spy Dima”.
Gösgen nuclear power plant: Russian groups always on site just because they are interested in technology?Image: KEYSTONE
As he says, the man belongs to a Russian-speaking group of expats who have recently repeatedly visited critical infrastructure such as nuclear power plants. The Russian is angry: “I can only shake my head at such one-sided reporting.” Cheap propaganda against “Russian groups” is being carried out here – through the media or through the federal intelligence service (NDB).
The anger relates to an article from CH Media on Tuesday. Research has shown that some Russian-speaking expat groups have recently been particularly frequent visitors to critical infrastructure that is of great interest to foreign intelligence services: nuclear power plants, airports, railway facilities, logistics centers and so on. The FIS confirmed that it was “aware of group visits to facilities that are part of Switzerland’s critical infrastructure”.
Dimitry feels directly addressed by his community. The activities described correspond exactly to her own: “And I took part in almost all of them myself. Also in the Gösgen nuclear power plant.”
However, these groups are not “Russian groups” in the narrower sense, but rather international communities of “expats, Germans, Swiss, Ukrainians, etc., in which Russian is spoken”. After the start of the Ukraine war, many came to Switzerland for professional reasons and wanted to integrate here, for example through joint activities and educational visits. “We cook together, go on trips, learn German.”
In order to integrate and not to spy, people want to find out more about how everything works here, he says. He explains the interest in technical facilities with the scientific background of many members: “For them, visits like the one at the Gösgen nuclear power plant are particularly interesting and an absolute highlight.” Dimitry adds bitterly: “But if you do that, you are immediately a spy. Just because you are interested in technology and speak Russian.”
The group also visited CERN in Geneva “several times”. “And the tours are given there by Russians who work there. Maybe they’re all spies?” Because of this “cheap propaganda” the group is now receiving cancellations for tours. That borders on cheap racism.
No Putin understanders in the group
Dimitry claims that there are no people in his group who understand Putin. However, observers don’t buy that. But he states: “You can count on three fingers why people live in Switzerland and no longer in Russia or Ukraine.”
Such reporting is playing into the hands of Russian propaganda. «No one I know here approves of the war. I myself haven’t been to Russia since 2021. My home was stolen from me, so to speak. Can you imagine something like that?”
The angry expat also criticizes the NDB. He wonders what tax money is being spent on here. The intelligence service should better “check banks that launder money – keyword MBaer – or companies that deliver electronic components to war zones via detours.” But that’s probably too much work – the NDB would rather hunt down people who live legally in Switzerland.
Another hypocrisy for him is the fact that Axpo, for example, buys its fuel rods in Russia. “But of course the spies are ordinary people who live here and sign up for public tours.”
*Full name known to the editors (aargauerzeitung.ch)
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