Slovakia has sent two military officers to Moscow, restoring military-diplomatic representation with Russia for the first time since 2022. The move has drawn criticism from opposition figures and former generals who warn of espionage risks and damage to NATO trust.
By Hermes-Vector AI Desk
Slovakia is restoring military-diplomatic relations with Russia for the first time since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The Slovak government has sent two military officers to Moscow and is preparing to receive a Russian military attaché in Bratislava. While the government defends the move as necessary for information gathering, critics warn of potential espionage and further erosion of trust within NATO.
The arrangement follows a meeting in May 2026 between Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin. During that meeting, Fico stated that relations between the two countries should extend beyond energy supplies and noted that steps had been taken to restore military attaches.
According to Slovak news website Aktuality.sk, which reported the appointments on October 8, Slovakia has sent Brigadier General Slavomir Staviarsky and his deputy, Colonel Ivo Gahir, to Moscow. Public broadcaster STVR reported that Staviarsky has been in Moscow since the beginning of August. Both officers appear on the Slovak Defense Ministry's published list of military diplomats serving abroad.
Opposition defense experts quoted by Aktuality.sk identified the incoming Russian officer as Maxim Verezan. The sources stated that Verezan has received Slovak approval but was not yet listed among accredited military attaches. Aktuality.sk reported that the Defense Ministry did not answer questions regarding when Verezan is due to arrive in Bratislava.
The Slovak government and its supporters have defended the renewal of contacts as a means of maintaining diplomatic representation and gathering information. In a statement reported by STVR, Slovak military intelligence said Staviarsky's role was to assess the security and military-political situation and keep the Defense Ministry informed.
Richard Gluck, a member of Fico's Smer party who chairs parliament's defense and security committee, argued that ending Slovakia's military diplomatic presence in Moscow had been a mistake. "We were losing a great deal of information," Gluck told STVR, pointing to the presence of American, British and French military diplomats in Moscow.
However, opposition politicians and former military officials have raised concerns. Martin Poliacik, a former Slovak MP affiliated with the opposition Progressive Slovakia party, told DW that the appointment's main significance is the political signal it sends. "NATO allies should be concerned both about the activities of the incoming officer and about the political environment in which he will operate," Poliacik said.
Critics warn that Russia could use the arrangement to strengthen its intelligence operations. Opposition experts told Aktuality.sk that a Slovak attaché in Moscow would be closely watched and obtain little useful information, while the reciprocal Russian posting could facilitate espionage in Slovakia. They warned that the incoming officer could conduct influence and disinformation operations.
The move has revived memories of a previous espionage scandal involving Sergei Solomasov, the Russian embassy's deputy military attaché in Bratislava. Solomasov was filmed recruiting and handing over money to Bohus Garbar, a contributor to the pro-Russian website Hlavne spravy, in 2021. Solomasov was expelled from Slovakia the following year, and Garbar was subsequently convicted of espionage and bribery.
Retired Lieutenant General Pavel Macko, a former Slovak deputy chief of defense and once the highest-ranking Slovak general in NATO's command structures, called the decision "a very serious step taken by the Fico government." "Nothing has changed [since 2022], just the opposite," Macko said. "Russia's adversarial activities continue to grow in Slovakia and in the region. The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine continues with high intensity, so do the hostile hybrid activities against Slovakia and its neighbors."
Macko pointed to a foiled plot to burn down a Ukrainian-owned drone factory in eastern Slovakia and suspicions that incidents in Munich and Leipzig were linked to Russian operations based in Slovakia. He warned that political influence over Slovakia's intelligence services could further damage intelligence-sharing and trust among allies.
The restoration of military ties occurs as Prime Minister Fico prepares for re-election next year. Martin Poliacik suggested that Fico's political motive is to build a narrative that he alone wants peace and is best placed to talk to Putin about ending the war. Poliacik noted that while Slovakia is formally fulfilling its NATO commitments, "Formal compliance does not, by itself, settle the question of political trust." The move highlights the ongoing tension between Slovakia's domestic political priorities and its obligations and relationships within the NATO alliance.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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