A growing spy scandal in Alexandroupolis has taken on new significance as investigators piece together how a 59-year-old ethnic Greek from Georgia was allegedly recruited by Russian intelligence to monitor Greek, U.S. and NATO military activity in the northern Greece military base.
The man was arrested last Tuesday (April 29) after being caught filming military installations and the transfer of military hardware. His handler—also Georgian—was arrested in Lithuania and is currently under interrogation. Authorities believe both men were working for Russia’s GRU, the military intelligence service tasked with battlefield logistics and sabotage.
The suspect, who claimed to be a house painter, had been operating for at least six months, sending footage of movements at the military base via an encrypted app. According to Greek security services, he followed detailed instructions from his handler, who had advised him to blend in by wearing sportswear and carrying a walking stick to appear as a casual hiker. From elevated positions, he recorded specific types of military hardware being loaded and unloaded at the port of Alexandroupolis—a key logistics hub used for supplying Ukraine.
While the suspect initially said he was promised money, he later told authorities he acted voluntarily “for Mother Russia,” citing his past service in the Soviet military in Siberia. Greek journalist Vassilis Lampropoulos reports that the handler is well known to local authorities, with a criminal history involving theft, drugs, and suspected ties to organized crime. He reportedly began working with Russian intelligence more recently and recruited the 59-year-old to conduct surveillance in the sensitive Evros region.
Sources close to the investigation say the operation was designed to supplement satellite reconnaissance with ground-level intelligence, as military shipments are often timed to avoid satellite overpasses. Surveillance from the ground provides critical insight into vulnerabilities and transport methods.
Alexandroupolis’s strategic value helps explain why the area would be targeted. In addition to its role as a NATO logistics corridor under the U.S.-Greece Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement (MDCA), it has become an essential LNG gateway for Southeastern Europe, reducing the region’s dependence on Russian gas.
Just months ago, a Greek newspaper claimed that the U.S. was preparing to withdraw from Alexandroupolis due to pressure from Russia and Turkey. The report was swiftly denied by President Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Pentagon officials, who clarified that while the U.S. does not operate a formal base there, the port remains critical for American and allied operations.
