Across the globe, spies love to gather in inconspicuous venues to meet contacts and hold discreet conversations. This week, Intelligence Online delves into Svarog. Behind the modest exterior of this purveyor of fine foods, much of the French capital's pro-Kremlin intelligentsia can be found.
At first glance, Svarog, a tiny shop on Boulevard Voltaire in Paris's 11th arrondissement, looks like any other Russian deli. Its very courteous owner, Luiza Sadretdinova, who goes by the name Varenne, enthusiastically introduces all comers to her range of Russian and Caucasian specialities. But there's a touch of the exotic to her clientele as well, for Svarog is very popular among pro-Kremlin influencers active in France.
Many of them are affiliated with SOS Donbass, an NGO set up in 2022 with the
