A secret espionage network aimed at promoting Russian interests has been uncovered in Argentina. According to the spokesperson of the country's president, Javier Milei, Manuel Adorni, Argentina’s State Intelligence Secretariat (SIDE) has identified the activities of agents working for Russia and revealed their secret plans and connections.
According to Adorni, the Russian spies operated closely with local citizens and carried out suspicious tasks in the interests of Russia’s geopolitical agenda. The investigation revealed a secret structure called “the Company” and its connections to Moscow. It was found that this organization operated as part of the well-known “Lakhta” project, which was linked to the late oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin.
The head of the network in Argentina was Lev Konstantinovich Andriashvili, who, together with his partner Irina Yakovenko, was responsible for the group’s financing and organizational development. Their main task was to form an influence group from local individuals loyal to Russia, launch disinformation campaigns against local authorities, and influence public opinion through various NGOs and foundations.
They distributed content through social networks, collected information and conducted political analysis, thereby attempting to create an invisible front in the interests of Russia. Such operations were conducted not only on the internet but also across various layers of society, including civil society.
Adorni noted that not all details of the investigation have been disclosed, but the obtained evidence confirms the existence of an extensive influence network linked to Russia. At present, there is no official information on the detention or whereabouts of these individuals.
This incident has gained even more significance amid the new immigration reform adopted in Argentina on May 29. The reform has restricted the opportunities for thousands of Russians arriving in the country to legalize their status. Under the new rules, obtaining citizenship and the right to permanent residence has become even more difficult.
One of the main reasons for this decision was to curb so-called “maternity tourism.” In recent years, thousands of pregnant Russian women tried to obtain Argentine citizenship for their children and themselves by giving birth in the country. The Argentine passport allows visa-free access to more than 170 countries, including the European Union.
It should be noted that this is not the first case of exposing Russian agents in Argentina. Previously, the couple Artem and Anna Dultsev gained Argentine citizenship after the birth of their child and were later detained for espionage in Slovenia, using this passport. They were detained in 2022 and returned to Russia in 2024.
The current situation may further complicate relations between Argentina and Russia. The Argentine authorities stated they would take all possible measures to ensure the country's sovereignty and security. At the same time, new reforms have made entry and stay in the country much more strictly controlled. Read 'Zamin' on Telegram!
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