Secret investigation documents obtained by the British newspaper The Telegraph revealed exciting allegations regarding the role of a spy working for Russia in the overthrow of former Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, who resigned from his position in October 2021, against the backdrop of investigations related to accusations of corruption and misuse of public funds.
According to the documents, contained in secret investigation files seen by The Telegraph, the spy Jan Marszalek, the fugitive former CEO of the German Wirecard company who is wanted in fraud and espionage cases, informed Aurelien Rousseff, who led a Russian spy network in Britain and was sentenced to prison, in letters exchanged between them, that he participated in an operation that led to the “successful overthrow” of Kurz.
The messages exchanged between the two men, on October 22, 2021, included Marszalek saying that they had “succeeded in overthrowing” the former chancellor by confiscating the mobile phone of Thomas Schmid, one of his closest aides and a former official in the Austrian Ministry of Finance, which contained correspondence that later became important evidence in corruption investigations.
The Austrian authorities confiscated Schmid's phone in November 2019, and recovered thousands of messages and conversations from it, which contributed to opening investigations into political appointments, government advertisements, and the exploitation of taxpayer funds to promote opinion polls and media coverage supportive of the Austrian People's Party.
In October 2021, the Austrian prosecution carried out inspections that included the headquarters of the Chancellery, the Ministry of Finance, and the headquarters of the Austrian People's Party, amid accusations of misuse of public money. After mounting pressure, Kurz announced his resignation on October 9 of the same year.
In a later letter to Rousseff, Marszalek indicated that the rest of the conversations extracted from the phone “destroyed the advisor,” according to what the British newspaper reported.
Kurz refused to comment on the report, while sources close to him said that he had always believed that the accusations against him were politically motivated, and that he was shocked to learn of their possible connection to Russia.
According to the report, if Marsalek's allegations are proven true, they will be clear evidence of the Russian state's direct interference in the political leadership of a European Union member state.
One of the most wanted people in the world
Marsalek is considered one of the most wanted people in the world, and has been on the run since June 2020, when his company - the German technology giant “Wirecard” - collapsed, leaving a financial deficit of 1.6 billion pounds sterling in its account books.
Since his disappearance, it has emerged that he has been working for the Kremlin for more than a decade.
British police seized hundreds of thousands of letters and documents during a raid on Rousseff's home in the British city of Great Yarmouth in February 2023, and investigations revealed a spy network operating under Marsalek's direction, targeting opponents of the Kremlin and investigative journalists.
The network members were convicted in Britain, and Rousseff, who authorities described as the group's leader and receiving his instructions directly from Marsalek, was sentenced to 10 years and eight months in prison.
Previous investigations also revealed that three mobile phones belonging to senior officials in the Austrian Ministry of the Interior arrived to people linked to Marsalek, before they were transported to Russia via Istanbul in 2022, without proving a link between this incident and the phone that was confiscated from Kurz’s assistant.
Commenting on the investigation, Ian Duncan Smith, former leader of the British Conservative Party, said that what the newspaper revealed highlights the extent of Russia’s increasing “audacity,” adding: “They don’t even care whether people believe they are doing this.” “They think we are too weak to deal with the matter, that we cannot respond, so they move completely freely.”
For his part, Graeme Downey, a representative from the Labor Party and a member of the Defense Committee of the British Parliament, described the Telegraph report as “worrying,” noting that the strategic goal of Russian President Vladimir Putin is “to create a fundamental division between democratic countries.”
Robert Clark, a researcher at the Yorktown Institute specializing in national security, said that Russia has become more willing to use espionage, coercion, and sabotage to create divisions within Europe and weaken its governments and institutions.
In turn, Ed Arnold, a senior research associate at the Royal United Services Institute, said that Russian intelligence services “like to create chaos and unrest,” explaining that even when they do not cause it, they exploit it and work to deepen political differences and divisions.
But he pointed out the possibility that Marsalek exaggerated his role in bringing down Kurz, seeking to strengthen his position within the intelligence world, adding: “If you want to make a name for yourself in this world as someone who is able to arrange things, you need achievements that give you status.”
On the other hand, a spokesman for the Austrian Ministry of the Interior confirmed that they could not comment on the ongoing investigations into the Marsalek network.
He stated in a statement to the Telegraph newspaper that “the Austrian Criminal Intelligence Service does not provide information or comments about ongoing investigations or procedures, nor does it reveal information related to specific individuals.”
Six people were killed and at least 15 others were injured in the city of Krakow, located in southern Poland, on Saturday, by shooting carried out by a gunman influenced by far-right ideas, according to what the authorities reported, in an incident that Prime Minister Donald Tusk described as a “terrorist act.”
According to Agence France-Presse, Tusk, in an interview with reporters during his inspection of the city on Saturday, confirmed that “the bodies of two women and a man were found in the perpetrator’s house,” speaking of indications that suggested that “they are members of his family.”
The Prime Minister also declared two days of mourning for the victims of the shooting incident, which he described as a “terrorist.”
For his part, Polish Interior Minister Marcin Kervinski said, “All indications suggest that the perpetrator of the attack was fascinated by far-right ideologies.”
Police reported that the suspect, a Polish man born in 2002, drove his car into Krakow's main market square and began shooting randomly at passers-by.
The police indicated that two of its officers were injured, before they opened fire on the suspect, who was taken to the hospital.
Police “heroism.”
Police chief spokesman Andrei Vigolik said the suspect used a semi-automatic rifle in the attack.
The authorities have not yet revealed the nationalities of all the victims of the deadliest attack in Poland since 1989.
Tusk said: “We have the utmost appreciation for the heroic police officers who risked their lives in the line of duty.”
On Saturday evening, Agence France-Presse reporters saw the main market square, which is usually bustling with activity, completely closed, while heavily armed police officers and criminal investigators examined the site of the attack.
Annette, who was at the site, told Agence France-Presse: “I saw a man shooting people while he was walking around the square. “It is a tragedy for Krakow, we have never seen anything like this before.”
Stella, a 22-year-old tourist from the city of Rennes in northwestern France, said: “It is terrifying to think that there are still such risks in Europe... risks of a terrorist nature.”
“Rare accidents”
Fatal shootings are rare in Poland, which has a population of 38 million and is a member of the European Union and NATO.
But the country has been on high alert since a series of stabbing incidents in October, which Tusk said were carried out by a “violent group” fueled by social media sites.
Poland, located on the eastern flank of the European Union and NATO, has repeatedly accused Russia of carrying out “subversive” acts since the start of Moscow’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The country is also witnessing a sharp rise in the number of firearms licenses. In 2025, more than 50,000 new licenses were issued, bringing the total to 411,000, according to police figures.
Krakow is a historical city located in southern Poland and was once its capital. It is a tourist destination visited in 2025 by more than 16 million tourists.
Feedback
For his part, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said that he was "shocked and saddened by the horrific shooting."
He wrote on the “X” platform: “My heart goes out to the families of those who lost their lives, and to all those injured and affected by this senseless violence.”
In turn, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said: “Ukraine stands in solidarity with Poland and the Polish people.” “People have the right to be safe.”
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stressed, via the “X” platform, that “Germany stands by Poland as a friend and partner during these difficult times.”
For her part, European Union foreign policy official Kaya Kallas described what happened as a “tragedy,” noting on the “X” platform that its repercussions would extend “far beyond Poland’s borders.”
The head of the Ukrainian presidential office, Kirilo Budanov, spoke Russian while performing his official duties, and was forced to pay a fine because of that, according to what the Commissioner for the Protection of the Official Language, Olena Ivanovska, announced on Facebook, today (Saturday), without explicitly mentioning Budanov’s name.
She wrote that the accused person admitted the violation and would pay the fine on time. The Ukrainian Language Law stipulates the imposition of fines ranging from 3,400 to 8,500 hryvnia (equivalent to 75 to 187 dollars) in the event of a first-time violation.
Budanov has not issued any comment on the incident yet.
Protests in front of a temporary military prison
However, Ivanovska referred to the incident during which President Volodymyr Zelensky's chief of staff switched to speaking Russian.
On Monday, several hundred people demonstrated in front of a makeshift military prison in a suburb of Kiev, on suspicion that the National Guard was mistreating soldiers accused of desertion and detained there. The incident received international attention.
The Ukrainian judiciary is investigating whether members of the military forces have exceeded their powers, and is also examining suspicions related to the possibility of intentional incitement to riots.
Budanov, a former general in the intelligence service, had tried to calm the situation. A video clip shows him speaking with one of the injured demonstrators (14 years old), using Ukrainian sometimes and Russian at other times. He also responded in Russian to the injured boy's sister over the phone, and issued instructions in Russian as well.
However, this conversational stance is common in Kyiv, where many residents switch between Ukrainian and Russian in their daily lives. Even within the military, Ukrainian is the language of official orders, but many soldiers speak Russian among themselves.
Thanks to his daring intelligence operations, Budanov has the reputation of a hero in Ukraine.
But on social media, he was accused of speaking the “enemy” language, that is, Russian. The language law does not prohibit government officials from speaking Russian in their private lives, but it requires them to use the official state language, Ukrainian, while performing their official duties.
