OSCE’s Alexander Hug Responds to Alleged Spy Leak

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) could have obtained personal information on hundreds of Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) employees working in eastern Ukraine, a German television station has reported.

The German broadcaster ARD on July 16 aired a program, which alleged that a spy within OSCE has leaked documents with information about staff, including phone numbers, financial details, habits, and alcohol addiction, to Russian intelligence.

Principal Deputy Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, Alexander Hug told Hromadske that the organization takes any alleged security breaches seriously but would need more information to take further action.

Furthermore, Hug said the Special Monitoring Mission does not collect personal and financial information, which ARD claims has been leaked, on its staff.

“We do also respect the fundamental rights to privacy of all our staff members and we do not monitor, oversee or closely inspect the personal lives of our staff members,” he said.

ARD journalists contacted the OSCE about the alleged leak in June.

“We were briefly shown some alleged OSCE documents on a laptop. I can't comment further, as we have not accessed, and have no way to verify these documents,” Hug said.