The Russians filled their embassy in Chisinau with a large number of antennas capable of picking up any signals at long distances. According to an investigation cited by News.ro, the equipment could collect sensitive information for the country’s security, experts warn.

Jurnal TV from the Republic of Moldova and the independent Russian site The Insider discovered during an investigation 28 such devices installed on the roofs of two diplomatic mission buildings on Stefan cel Mare Boulevard in Chisinau. This is almost twice as much as in Brussels, where the main institutions of the European Union and NATO are located.

In April, journalists from several European publications published an investigation into the communication and espionage equipment installed on the roofs of Russian embassies in the West. The representative office in Brussels topped the rating, on the roof of which 17 antennas were installed, reports the newspaper Le Monde. French journalists claimed that Brussels became one of the main targets of Russian spies, as the headquarters of the EU and NATO are located there.

Starting with this investigation, Jurnal TV found that the Russian embassy on Stefan cel Mare Boulevard is far superior to the Belgian capital. Most of the antennas, 13, are parabolic antennas. There is also a series of high, very high or ultra-high frequency equipment that, when connected to special equipment, is capable, according to experts, of intercepting mobile conversations, Wi-Fi data and long-distance communications. And all these technologies work near the main institutions of the Moldovan state. For example, the distance between the Russian Embassy and the Parliament is approximately 800 meters.

What are the little “shops” on the roof?

Another mystery is some small “shops” rising on the roof. They look like containers. There are such “huts” in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Spain, Greece, Malta, Portugal, Romania and Sweden, according to an investigation by European journalists. “These warehouses would hide the most sensitive surveillance devices and deserve maximum attention,” believes a general from Poland, consulted by VSquare.

The equipment installed by Russia in these containers could be used, in particular, to intercept telephone conversations via satellite, as well as aviation, maritime, military and police communications, said experts consulted by the authors of the European investigation in April. They can also transmit information to Russian warships. By connecting to special equipment located in the embassy premises or in mysterious containers, the antennas can be used to carry out cyber attacks on government networks.

How the Russian scheme works and who are its exponents in Chisinau, the Jurnal TV investigative team found out in cooperation with The Insider journalists.

“Why are two high-ranking diplomats who should be in the office in the middle of the day sitting on the antenna roof of the building across the street?”

For example, “on Sunday, May 14, 2023, instead of resting, the employee of the defense attaché office of the Russian Embassy in Chisinau, Pavlo Yakunin, is on the roof of the residence belonging to the diplomatic mission. After a few guesses, the defense attache manually assembles the antenna and positions it for the best signal. After an hour of waiting, he adjusts again. Coincidence or not, but on this day also in the Gagauz Autonomous District, the second round of elections for the post of Baska took place,” Jurnal TV reports.

Another example is June 1, 2023. “Another memorable day in the calendar. The Republic of Moldova hosts the summit of the European Community. Leaders of 45 countries of the European continent came to Chisinau. But even on this day, an employee of the technical staff of the diplomatic mission appears on the roof. As in the first case, he pulls out the antenna. He did a similar exercise a week ago accompanied by a colleague,” Jurnal TV reports.

“The truth is that we could not find sufficient evidence to demonstrate the existence of a cause-and-effect relationship between the mentioned events and the activities of the diplomats on the roof of the residence, but we received a series of video recordings that prove that during the last two years, similar manipulations with all kinds of devices that are located there took place regularly, and those who controlled them are employees of two espionage structures of the Russian Federation. With the help of The Insider journalists, we managed to establish their real identities,” explains Jurnal TV.

“Thus, through FSB sources, we have confirmed that Pavlo Yakunin (…) is actually an agent of the Main Directorate of Intelligence, known as the GRU, and the position of an employee of the defense department attached to him is only a cover. Insider found out that Yakunin graduated from the Military University of Radio Electronics in Cherepovka. Two more GRU officers seconded to Chisinau are the second secretary of the embassy Oleksandr Vasinovych and the attache Vitaliy Renyov. Both are pictured in pictures taken on July 18. Why are two high-ranking diplomats, who should be in the office in the middle of the day, sitting on the roof of the building across the street, covered in antennas?” Jurnal TV asks.

The full investigation can be read on Jurnal.md.