(BRATISLAVA) – Slovakia has restored military-diplomatic representation with Russia after a four year interruption, sending two officers to Moscow and preparing to receive a reciprocal Russian military attaché in Bratislava.
Brigadier General Slavomír Staviarsky has been appointed military attaché, with Colonel Ivo Gahir as his deputy. Both have already arrived in the Russian capital. The Russian posting is expected to be filled by 46 year old naval officer Maksim Verezhan, who previously served at the Russian embassy in Rome .
The decision follows Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico’s visit to Moscow in May, where he told the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin that military and diplomatic relations between the two countries would be restored. Fico said at the time: “We have taken concrete steps to resume the mutual exchange of military attachés” .
Opposition politicians have criticised the move, warning that the primary beneficiary will be Moscow. Tomáš Valášek, an MP from the Progressive Slovakia party, said the Slovak representative in Moscow is unlikely to gain access to sensitive information, while the Russian attaché could engage in disinformation and influence operations in Slovakia .
The previous Russian military attaché in Bratislava, Sergei Solomasov, was expelled in 2022 after being filmed handing money to Bohuš Garbár, a contributor to a pro-Kremlin disinformation website. Garbár was subsequently convicted of espionage and bribery .
Retired Lieutenant General Pavel Macko, former Slovak deputy chief of defence, said: “This is a very serious step taken by the Fico government. Nothing has changed since 2022, just the opposite. Russia’s adversarial activities continue to grow in Slovakia and in the region” .
The Slovak government has defended the decision as a means of gathering information and maintaining diplomatic representation. Richard Gluck, a member of Fico’s Smer party who chairs parliament’s defence and security committee, pointed to the presence of American, British and French military diplomats in Moscow, arguing that ending Slovakia’s military diplomatic presence there had been a mistake .
The move coincides with plans to revive the Slovak-Russian intergovernmental commission, with a first meeting scheduled for 25th November in Moscow. Slovakia is also preparing to host a Russian economic delegation later this month .
German politician Johann Wadephul, during a visit to Bratislava in late September, delivered unusually sharp criticism of Slovakia’s pro-Kremlin position: “The greatest threat to freedom on our continent comes from Moscow. The greatest danger to Europe is Putin’s belligerent imperialism. Questioning these facts is not merely a lack of solidarity, it is irresponsible” .
Slovakia’s military intelligence has said Staviarsky’s role is to assess the security and military-political situation and keep the Defence Ministry informed .
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