Concerns Over Eavesdropping on Calls to Russia from Finland
Telecom operator Elisa has raised serious concerns about the possibility of Russian authorities eavesdropping on phone calls made from Finland.
Recent experiences continue to illustrate this troubling reality. In October, a Helsinki resident named Anna visited her family in Eastern Finland. During her stay, she dialed her grandmother in Petrozavodsk using Elisa’s network. After a prolonged ringing, a voice unexpectedly answered in Russian, inquiring, “Who’s there?” This unfamiliar voice bewildered both Anna and her mother.
Upon hearing her mother respond in Russian, the call fell silent. The two women ended the conversation and tried again, successfully reaching Anna’s grandmother, who insisted there had been no unusual interruptions on her end. Yet, she speculated that calls were likely being monitored.
Similar unsettling experiences have been reported by Mila, a Russian immigrant residing in Joensuu. She mainly keeps in touch with her elderly mother in Viipuri via WhatsApp. However, when her mother was hospitalized in August without internet access, Mila turned to traditional calling. To her alarm, her calls made through DNA telecommunication to her mother’s Russian Beeline number were interrupted, often accompanied by strange voices—disruptions that Mila and her sister believe were intentional.
Increasing State Surveillance
Russia’s efforts to tighten its grip on communication have extended beyond unauthorized monitoring. The government has begun restricting calls over popular messaging apps, steering users toward its state-controlled platform, Max. Since August, the Kremlin has rolled out measures that block and limit calls on WhatsApp and Telegram, issuing a “partial ban” on these widely used services.
Mila remarked on the tactics, saying, “They want to force people to download the Max app.” This messaging platform, linked to the state-associated technology firm VK, has become mandatory on smartphones and tablets sold within Russia since September.
Jaakko Wallenius, Elisa’s Chief Security Officer, clarified that Finnish telecom operators lack the ability to halt or interfere with monitoring conducted on Russian soil. “It happens on the Russian side. Finnish operators or authorities have no access to it,” he explained. He posited that a significant infrastructure is likely in place to facilitate extensive surveillance of calls.
The Finnish Security and Intelligence Service (Supo) has echoed these concerns, urging caution regarding phone communications and advocating for the use of more secure channels for sensitive discussions. According to Supo, Russian law mandates that domestic telecom operators monitor and store phone and data traffic.
A proposed bill in Russia might exacerbate these issues, potentially requiring residents to report incoming international calls to their operators. These operators would then be obligated to cut off any “suspicious” calls and hand over recordings to the authorities.
Note: For privacy reasons, the names Anna and Mila are pseudonyms, chosen to protect the individuals’ identities while still highlighting their experiences.
For more insight into the complexities of Russian espionage in Finland, Yle News’ All Points North podcast has delved into the activities of deep-cover agents currently operating in the country.
