A shocking plan by a Russian spymaster to manipulate migration into Europe using private armies has been exposed.

Fugitive ex-businessman Jan Marsalek is accused of orchestrating a scheme to deploy 15,000 mercenaries to control a critical migration route through Libya. Weaponizing migrant flows is reportedly a key strategy of Vladimir Putin, as migration remains a major issue influencing elections across Europe. European leaders have previously warned that a Russian victory in Ukraine could trigger a surge of migrants heading west.

Marsalek’s alleged plot was revealed after three UK-based Bulgarian nationals, operating under his orders, were convicted of spying for Russia on Friday. The group, led by Orlin Roussev, 47, was exposed in what the Met Police described as one of the UK’s largest-ever espionage operations. The spies, now facing prison, were caught planning kidnappings and surveillance campaigns.

Fugitive Jan Marsalek, who has been on the run since 2020 following the collapse of Wirecard, is alleged to have acquired the Russian private military company RSB Group, which has close ties to Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar, according to The Telegraph.

Marsalek was reportedly working for the Kremlin while leading Wirecard and had devised a plan to control migration flows from Africa, with support from Austria. The scheme, launched in 2017, secured over €120,000 in Austrian government funding, which Marsalek claimed would help the EU "solve the migration crisis."

A suspected colonel in Russia’s GRU intelligence service was responsible for overseeing security for the operation. Despite warnings from sources to officials in Germany and Austria about Marsalek’s Russian ties, these concerns were allegedly ignored.

Marsalek’s interest in private military groups dates back to his time at Wirecard. Between 2017 and early 2018, he met with Killian Kleinschmidt, a former UN humanitarian worker, to discuss a project in Libya. The discussions also involved Gustav Gustenau, a senior Austrian Ministry of Defence official at the time.

According to The Telegraph, documents reveal that Gustav Gustenau signed a statement committing €20,000 to a project aimed at managing migration and stabilizing Libya. Additionally, Killian Kleinschmidt was promised €100,000 through Austria’s Federal Ministry of Transport, Innovation, and Technology—though it is believed these payments were never made.

Gustenau has denied any wrongdoing or close ties to Jan Marsalek, stating that he was merely authorized to explore the project and had no knowledge of Marsalek’s Russian connections. The funds were supposed to come from a "Russian-Libyan Cultural Institute," which Marsalek claimed was based in Moscow—but no such institute has been found to exist.

Minutes from one of Marsalek’s meetings detail his plan:
"JM’s priority is ‘to close the border’ with a 15,000-strong border police force composed of former militias. He emphasized this repeatedly. He also suggested using the plan as leverage with Tripoli’s national government against power brokers in the east. Selling this idea to the EU as a solution to the migration crisis could justify using frozen Libyan funds in the EU to finance it."

The project was reportedly abandoned in 2018 due to concerns from partners and a lack of funding. However, the continued presence of Russian mercenaries in Libya—including the Wagner Group’s growing influence in Africa—has heightened fears of a new migrant crisis in Europe. Experts warn that Russian-backed groups are deliberately destabilizing African nations, increasing migration pressure on European borders.

Marsalek remains on Interpol’s most-wanted list and is also under investigation for espionage in multiple European countries.