The French newspaper Le Monde revealed that 15 spies belonging to an elite unit of the Russian military intelligence carried out operations in Europe using the French Alps region as a rear base and logistic for them. March 2018.

The French newspaper said on Wednesday that the investigation conducted by the British, Swiss, French and American intelligence services has drawn up a list of 15 members of the "29155" unit of the Russian Military Intelligence Agency, which moved within Europe from 2014 to the end of 2018.

Russian spies crossed the Alpine region of southeastern France, close to the border with Switzerland and Italy, and settled for some time in French cities near the border with Switzerland and Italy such as Chamonix, Evian and Annemasse, as well as isolated French towns.

Salisbury attack
The Salisbury attack, which Moscow accused of being responsible, has mobilized Western intelligence services, to begin an investigation into the work of Russian military intelligence elements in the European continent, and led these investigations to reveal the list of 15 Russian spies.

"The most likely hypothesis is that the Haute-Savoie region was the backbone of all undercover operations carried out by Unit 29155 in Europe," a senior French intelligence official was quoted as saying.

According to the information available, some spies came to France several times, others came once or twice, and they came to France from different destinations, and the French Alps were a stop for these Russian elements to prepare for the implementation of secret acts entrusted to them, such as assassinations and sabotage.

Western intelligence agencies have so far found no material, including weapons, left behind by Russian spies during their stay in France, but they have been confirmed in the border region of Haute-Savoie.

It is noteworthy that "Unit 29155" was established during the Cold War, and trained communist militias in Asia, Africa and Central America, and after the disintegration of the Soviet Union turned the unit into secret intelligence work.