Gramshi, not the first case: Like “spy” the base of Kucova and Defender Europe 2021

Last year, Albanian authorities began investigating two Russian and five Czech citizens under suspicion of military spying committed during the “Defender Europe 2021” exercise. It was then said that the Czechs had been photographing the NATO base in Kuchova, as well as American troop exercises in Durres. Two Russian nationals were likewise put under investigation by the Tirana Prosecution; one of them, Vladislav Cherkasov, had entered the country on 12 May last year, and a fear was found with him. As his destination, Durres had declared this at the very time that important military training was conducted there.

Georg Budanov just entered Albania through Qafe Thanas on March 1st 2021. He was introduced as a businessman who was interested in investing in the city of Vlora. But his activity despite classified information is viewed by investigators as suspicious that Budanov remained in Orikum during the time Defender Europe, one of the largest military exercises held in Europe, in Vlora. Russia was expelled from the central border police on May 10th, under the argument that it did not meet the conditions of stay in Albania. The Russian Foreign Ministry then reacted on charges that all this was nothing but NATO propaganda.

Diplomatic relations between Tirana and Moscow have been cool lately. In January, Albania expelled a Russian diplomat, Alexei Krivosev, for disrespecting the rules of Cavid 19. In 2018, meanwhile, two other Russian diplomats had been declared <x0non granta”, with the argument that the activity they carried out was not in line with their diplomatic status. Russia later expelled two Albanian diplomats from the Albanian Embassy in Moscow.

This year's May at the latest, they were detained under suspicion of spying at Rinas Airport and two British nationals found in undeclared radio broadcast luggage near the authorities. They themselves claimed to be IT engineers, passionate about amateur radios.