Surveillance and ‘constant paranoia’: Western diplomats tell BBC of life in war-time Moscow

Ex-US and French ambassadors Lynne Tracy and Pierre Lévy were among those to speak to the BBC about their experiences in Moscow during a time of heightened tensions.

"Being the ambassador to Russia was probably the hardest assignment of my career," Lynne Tracy, who represented the US in Moscow from 2023 to 2025, told the BBC. Once, US, UK, and European diplomats played a crucial role in defusing tensions even during the worst moments of the Cold War. However, under President Vladimir Putin's government, Western ambassadors are now deemed "unfriendly" and face constant surveillance, isolation, and increasing disconnection from the country they were sent to understand, as the war in Ukraine continues into its fifth year.

The BBC interviewed five diplomats who have served in Russia since the full-scale invasion began. They compared the current pressure levels to those of the Cold War era, when embassies were monitored through physical surveillance, hidden listening devices, and even a near-invisible chemical agent known as "spy dust" used to track officials.

Since the war began in 2022, hundreds of Russian diplomats were expelled from countries in Europe and the US. In retaliation, Moscow declared hundreds of Western diplomats persona non grata, leaving many embassies short-staffed. Tracy, whose 30-year career included a posting in Pakistan where she survived an armed attack in 2008, stated that even under constant physical threat, her time in Peshawar felt easier than her posting in Moscow. "There, I still felt that there were things within my control. What made Moscow more difficult were the high levels of uncertainty," she recalled.

The constant pressure from Russian counterintelligence was a primary source of this uncertainty. A former European diplomat warned, "Expect listening devices, expect cameras in every single room of your house," reflecting the pervasive surveillance environment.

Another ex-ambassador shared that they had to dismiss two Russian employees after the FSB attempted to recruit them, demanding they report on everything happening at the diplomatic mission. The employees informed the embassy instead, leading to their dismissal to avoid potential criminal prosecution.