Suspected Espionage at the Heart of Diplomacy: Swiss Colonel of the OSCE Delegation Withdrawn
A high-ranking Swiss military officer has been recalled from his post at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna. The reason is a serious suspicion of passing information to Russian authorities. The affair has rocked Swiss diplomacy at a politically sensitive time, as Switzerland prepares to take over the chairmanship of the OSCE in 2026. The military justice system has launched an investigation to clarify the scope of the case.
A high-ranking Swiss military colonel was removed from his post on suspicion of spying for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna and recalled to Switzerland. / Picture: © Wikimedia Commons; Alpha2412, CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en)
The colonel at the center of the investigation worked for the Swiss Department of Defense (VBS) for over 20 years and most recently held important foreign posts, including one with the OSCE delegation in Vienna. According to research by SRF Investigativ and the "Neue Züricher Zeitung" (NZZ), the employee was recalled to Switzerland at the end of last year. The DDPS confirmed that it was “aware of allegations” that led to this measure.
Is this an isolated case or widespread espionage?
The allegations are complex, as reported by Swiss Radio. While some people close to the officer describe the incidents as an overreaction involving the disclosure of a single document, which was shared within the organization shortly thereafter, other sources paint a far more worrying picture.
According to the NZZ, the colonel is suspected of having passed information to contacts in the Russian OSCE delegation over a long period of time. The alleged leaks are said to have included sensitive details about the Swiss government's positions and possible informants that Russia could recruit. The decisive tip-off about these activities was reportedly passed on to Switzerland by European intelligence services.
Possible motives and explosive timing
There is speculation about the motives of the accused, according to reports in the NZZ. Allegedly, the colonel is said to have struggled increasingly with isolation and the restrictions imposed during the coronavirus pandemic and to have drifted into the so-called “Querdenker” (lateral thinkers) scene. This movement has partly aligned itself with pro-Russian positions, which Russian propaganda channels such as Russia Today (RT) have deliberately exploited. Direct contact with a top Russian diplomat may have facilitated this development.
The timing of the scandal is particularly sensitive. Switzerland has announced that it will take over the OSCE chairmanship for the second time since 2014 in 2026. The organization, which is the only regional security forum facilitating dialogue between East and West, including Russia and the U.S. , has been under severe pressure since the war in Ukraine. Russia is blocking the organization's work in many areas and using the diplomatic stage for its own purposes. A case of espionage from within its own ranks could significantly weaken Switzerland's credibility as a neutral mediator in the tense situation.
Part of a series of intelligence scandals?
The affair surrounding the military colonel is not an isolated case. In June 2025, research revealed that the cyber team of the Swiss intelligence service NDB had been working with the Russian cybersecurity company Kaspersky for years, which also led to concerns about information leaks, as reported by “DerStandard”.
This pattern leads observers to suspect that Switzerland, with its role as an international hub of diplomacy and a relatively small intelligence service compared to other nations, is an attractive target for Russian intelligence services.
The military justice investigation is still in its early stages. The presumption of innocence applies. The scope of the case—whether it is a single incident or part of a broader espionage operation—remains unclear for now.