Exhausted Russian diplomats in black suits repeat failed propaganda in EU capitals. This is how Russian diplomacy is described in the annual Estonian intelligence report after a year of Russian war against Ukraine..

Some Russians feel demotivated by small things like wage delays due to the complications of EU financial sanctions.

“Among the new daily worries of Russian diplomats is now the anxiety of not knowing whether they will receive their monthly payments into a bank account, or, in case this does not happen, which of their colleagues to borrow money from,” EUObserver quoted a report from the Estonian foreign intelligence service.

“It affected the morale of diplomats abroad. Their motivation is not high and is deteriorating, and this is exactly what we wanted to achieve,” said Estonian intelligence director Kaupo Rosin..

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But the biggest reason for the deterioration in morale is that the Russian Foreign Ministry is no longer involved in foreign policy.. And this, according to Estonian intelligence officers, makes diplomats feel worthless..

“Russian diplomats also knew nothing about Vladimir Putin’s plans to attack Ukraine.. According to our information, they learned about it on the morning of February 24, 2022 from the media.. There was confusion and surprise because no one had prepared the theses in advance,” Rosin added..

Russia develops close ties with China and African countries. But the Kremlin has almost abandoned diplomacy in Europe.

“The role of Russian diplomats in the West has been reduced to a monotonous repetition of propaganda lies. Russian ambassadors caught in an information blackout are often forced to improvise at international meetings,” says the Estonian intelligence service, whose reports are prized among Western security experts..

“The diplomatic corps has been dragged into a situation in which it has to repeat the same theses, but it does not influence the development of politics,” Rosin added..

The director of Estonian intelligence said that, for example, Russian diplomats in Turkey were issued theses designed to harm Turkish ratification of Finland and Sweden joining NATO.. But they were only repeating flimsy old allegations of Western aggression and escalation instead of addressing the anti-Islamic protests in Sweden..

“I didn’t see anything about Islam,” Rosin said..

Estonian spies also intercepted what they called "

“Firstly, during his reign, Russia's GDP increased 12 times. Secondly, Putin increased the gold and foreign exchange reserves by 48 times. These were their hilarious ideas,” Estonian intelligence said..

Meanwhile, Russian diplomats are wearing dark suits because of the dress code requirements of the Russian Foreign Ministry.. And it also gives some clues about the current diplomatic culture..

“The requirements for men are conservative: a navy blue or gray suit, combinations of different jackets and trousers are allowed, but only if the colors match.. Pockets are purely decorative and should not be used for hands.. Perfume must be used in moderation, hands and nails must be well-groomed. No visible tattoos or piercings,” the Russian dress code says..

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Female diplomats 'should have conservative hairstyles appropriate for age and position'. Shoulder-length hair " Daytime makeup " But Estonian intelligence points out that Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova appeared on television in a red dress, “shorter than allowed”.

However, in January, Estonia expelled 13 Russian diplomats and 8 embassy technicians, explaining that they did nothing to promote peace..

“In the context of the Russian full-scale war in Europe, which is being waged against Ukraine, this should also be considered by other countries of the Western community,” said Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu.

However, Russian influence operations in Europe go far beyond weak Russian diplomacy, according to an Estonian intelligence report, pointing to Russian espionage activities as well as the activities of the Russian Orthodox Church..

The FSB "

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EU countries also expelled about 400 Russian diplomats last year over espionage charges.. For example, the Russian representative office in the EU, located in Brussels, lost 19 employees, which accounted for almost half of the staff..

When asked by EUObserver whether more expulsions were needed, Rosin replied: “I would say that Russian intelligence has suffered, of course, but the Russians are still dangerous.”.