Who Lives in the Little House? Inside a Kremlin Recruitment Operation Near the EU’s Power Center

Just a 20-minute walk from the European Commission, the Russian House in Brussels operates as a rare enclave where EU sanctions appear not to apply. The center accepts only cash, issues Russian state diplomas and organizes trips for European children to Russian-occupied Crimea. Ukrainian intelligence sources cited by LIGA.net say the venue also serves as a recruitment ground for Russian special services, helping Moscow preserve its influence inside the European Union.How this alleged Russian spy hub functions – and what lies behind its seemingly harmless evenings of Russian literature in the heart of Europe – in an exclusive LIGA.net investigation."I came to the Russian course". What happens insideThe Russian House is located at 21 Rue du Méridien, which is literally a 20-25 minute walk from the European Quarter, where the main EU institutions are located, and the main government buildings in Brussels.ReferenceRussian Houses are foreign offices of the state agency Rossotrudnichestvo (full name: Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States, Compatriots Living Abroad and International Humanitarian Cooperation). Rossotrudnichestvo units are used by Russian special services as residencies tied to Russia's legal missions abroad for cover. De facto, they serve as the Kremlin's main instrument of soft power and ideological promotion of the "Russian world" concept. For more on this, see our investigation into how the Kremlin is building a propaganda empire abroad.Since 2022, Rossotrudnichestvo has been under EU sanctions.A wide, tree-lined street of tidy townhouses housing foreign embassies in Brussels. The Russian mission’s building does not stand out on the map – except for its somber, almost forbidding appearance.Yet staff at the institution appear keen to soften the image with bright, largely superficial posters – advertising Russian ballet, Lermontov readings and performances by Russian pianists. It is a familiar set of "cultural exports", one that masks a far more complex reality.The opening hours are typical of most public institutions: Monday to Friday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., the center is open to visitors.At the building’s heavy doors, I met one of them – a man who immediately warned me that he "doesn’t speak the language very well yet," explaining that he is Belgian."I came for a Russian language course. I already have an A2 level, but of course I want to learn more," he told me. "The main motivation is to better understand how my friends – Russians and Chechens – live."Inside, I encountered another visitor, a Dutchman. His story closely mirrored the first: the same "friends from Russia," the same desire to "explore mysterious Russian culture." He said he had found these "friends" on social media and had never met them in person.During my time in Brussels, I have had at least two similarly unsettling conversations with citizens of these countries. One Belgian was keen to know why I believed Putin was "so aggressive toward Ukraine." A Dutchman, meanwhile, expressed "sympathy" over the fact that my president had "started the war."A step away from the Moskva metro station. What is offered to visitorsInside, the atmosphere is distinctly unwelcoming. Cold displays of Russian coats of arms and flags dominate the space, while a large map of the Moscow metro hangs behind the reception desk in the main office. Here, in the heart of Brussels, visitors are visually reminded of where this institution’s routes truly lead.What feels most unsettling is the sheer number of CCTV cameras – inside and outside the building alike. Four are mounted directly above the entrance alone, an unusually high level of surveillance by Brussels standards. It quickly becomes clear that every step taken inside is being recorded.The corridors are largely empty. When I asked why there were so few people, an employee who has worked at the house for more than a decade replied with calm certainty: "Just check our social media – there are many interesting things there. We are waiting for you in a few days."Teaching Russian culture is not the only thing the center offers. The brochures at the reception with Pushkin's picture on them are much more eloquent than the staff. "The Russian House continues to operate as an official examination center, issuing Russian state certificates (TORFL/TRKI). But the devil is in the details of the payment and registration rules.In the "Method of Payment" section, it is stated in black and white: "Payment must be paid in cash". Paying exclusively in cash in the center of a European capital is another atypical situation. Usually, this type of payment is made here through bank transfers.The payment rules are described here:Registration fees must be paid in cash. If the fee is not paid in full by the deadline, the candidate loses all rights to participate in the course.Participation in the courses is possible only upon full payment during registration.Prices are negotiable. They are regularly updated on the Russian House website and in the course brochure.Study materials and language test fees not included in the course fee.If you decide to cancel the course before it starts, you will be refunded the full price, minus50 euros administrative fee. No refunds are provided after the start of the course.Cash payments provide a direct answer to how a sanctioned institution can circumvent bank monitoring and frozen accounts.The brochure’s "Personal Data" section openly states that the collection of personal information is mandatory for "administration." In practice, this aligns with warnings from Ukrainian intelligence: every visitor’s passport is checked, effectively creating a database for Russian special services.Taken together, the picture is surreal. A sanctioned institution carries out administrative functions, collects biometric data from European visitors, and operates with "black money" – all under the watch of Belgian authorities.How Legal Mimicry and "Stealth Mode" WorkThis institution demonstrates how the Kremlin’s legal mimicry operates. "The Russian House has effectively erased its Belgian identity.Instead of functioning as a transparent non-profit (ASBL) required to report its income, it appears in local state registers only as blank entries. The only publicly available details are an embassy number and a few irrelevant associations.This "invisibility" allows the sanctioned Rossotrudnichestvo to operate in stealth mode, leaving Belgian authorities unable to track who is actually receiving payments for language courses.Vadym Skibitskyi, Deputy Chief of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Directorate (DIU), told LIGA.net that the threat is real:"The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service are their primary overseers. The Russian House is extremely active in propaganda, recruiting students, and raising funds to circumvent sanctions. This is a hybrid war, and its influence in the European Union continues to grow."How the recruitment pipeline works: intelligence explainsUkrainian Foreign Intelligence (SZR) told LIGA.net that, for the Kremlin, the study and promotion of the Russian language is not about linguistics – it is a strategic geopolitical priority.According to SZR sources, the Russians plan to double funding for all Russian Houses under the pretext of "popularizing culture and language." These centers form the foundation for a broader propaganda apparatus, including events like Victory Day, the Immortal Regiment, and other military-themed commemorations.Recruitment operates like a conveyor belt, starting with something as simple as photocopying a passport during a course. Social engineering follows: virtual "friends" on social networks – who, in my experience, the Dutch and Belgian visitors I spoke to had never met in person – draw people into the center.For younger participants, another hook is used: through "language competitions," children are sent to the temporarily occupied Crimea to attend the Artek camp, and later offered the chance to study at MGIMO. They return to Europe as ready-made agents of influence. Even foreign diplomats, according to SZR, come here to study the language, finding themselves in an environment ideal for informal recruitment.The hierarchy of this operation runs directly to the Kremlin, under the supervision of Sergei Kiriyenko. While Brussels debates political will, the building at 21 Rue du Méridien continues to function. Under the watch of dozens of cameras, lights stay on, cash payments are accepted, and passports of future "friends of Russia" are scanned. The door for the Kremlin’s influence remains wide open.Political will against "mirror" schemes: how official Brussels reacts to these institutionsThe Belgian Federal Public Service for Foreign Affairs (FPS) refused to answer my questions about the mechanisms of profit-making bypassing sanctions and the immunity of its personnel. The agency only dryly stated: "We are aware of the existence of such an institution and fully comply with the sanctions."The energy giant ENGIE, which provides the building with electricity and heating, responded to my inquiry with a vague answer: they say they comply with the sanctions, but whether they service this facility is a "client's secret." The question of how a sanctioned institution pays for utilities when its accounts are frozen remained unanswered.A source in Belgian security circles confirmed the legal absurdity on condition of anonymity: "Russian House is in a "gray zone". Brussels acknowledges that the institution's funding is under sanctions, but claims that the office's "mere existence" allegedly does not violate anything.Talking to Ukrainian intelligence, it becomes clear: the "gray zone" they talk about in Belgium is just a convenient screen.The SZR spokesman said LIGA.netthe EU's current sanctions are not working effectively. The Russians have learned to create "mirrors" for their sanctioned entities: they register new websites or separate legal entities, and the European control system often does not see this as a violation."We have talked to our partners in the EU a hundred times. We have provided a lot of evidence and specific websites, but they have no tools to actually monitor compliance with the sanctions," the source said.The issue of closing down the Russian House is not a legal issue, but a purely political one. The Foreign Intelligence Service explains that European politicians are often afraid to take radical steps in order not to lose the votes of the pro-Russian electorate. There is enough evidence of espionage, but there is no "political will". If it were to appear, it would be a matter of one day to close these buildings.The European Commission and the European External Action Service (EEAS), despite promising to explain how Russian House manages to continue working in Brussels and circumvent sanctions, did not respond to the request LIGA.net.Read alsoLoyalty for money. What you need to know about envelopes for MPs

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