[Interview] Journalist who was followed by Russian agents in Vienna: 'If they want to find something out, they will'

In January 2026, Austria began the largest espionage trial in its history involving a former intelligence officer accused of spying for Russia. Anna Thalhammer, editor-in-chief of Profil magazine, revealed that Russian intelligence agents monitored her in Vienna to identify her confidential sources. Russian operatives employed sophisticated surveillance techniques including cars, bicycles with eavesdropping devices, and hidden bugs near her home. Some of her sources were also surveilled and had their homes broken into. Attempts to steal her phone and computer through hired pickpockets failed. The surveillance was linked to a Bulgarian spy cell working for Jan Marsalek, a Russian agent. One member of this cell, a Bulgarian woman living in Vienna since 2014, engaged in spying primarily for money rather than ideological reasons and remains free pending trial. The case has exposed deep corruption within the Austrian intelligence service and links to the far-right Freedom Party, causing distrust among European intelligence partners. Security experts confirmed there are limited practical defenses for individuals targeted by such espionage. The trial features a jury deciding guilt based on detailed but circumstantial evidence, complicated by Russian disinformation narratives. A former senior FSB defector linked to the case refused to testify due to lack of protection and perceived danger from Russian threats.