The Russian spy who revealed: How I brought down the Austrian chancellor

Investigation documents revealed by The Telegraph raise an unusual claim: intelligence agent Jan Marsalek, who fled Britain, boasted that he helped bring down Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz in 2021 by obtaining the mobile phone of the manager of his secret campaign financing.

Investigation documents revealed by The Telegraph raise an unusual claim: intelligence agent Jan Marsalek, who has been on the run from Britain since 2020, boasted that he helped bring down Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz in 2021. Marsalek, who has worked for the Kremlin for over a decade, claimed in messages sent under a pseudonym that he obtained the mobile phone of the man who managed Kurz's secret campaign financing. The messages were seized by British police as part of an investigation into Marsalek's espionage network and shared with Austrian law enforcement. Kurz, who was the world's youngest leader when elected in 2017, resigned in October 2021 after resignations and police raids. Associates of Kurz noted that he always believed the accusations against him were politically motivated and was shocked to learn of the possible Russian connection. Investigators assess that Vienna remains a convenient hub for Russian intelligence activity.