Suspected Russian spy Viktor Labin arrested in Brussels

23 February 2026

Alleged Russian spy Viktor Labin has been arrested in Brussels. The federal public prosecutor's office confirmed the news, as reported by the Russia-critical online newspaper The Insider, on Monday. He was arrested, is now in custody and is due to appear in court later this week.

Labin is officially a Russian businessman operating from Uccle in Brussels for the company Groupe D'investissement Financier. However, The Insider and other media outlets suspect that he is an agent of the Russian military intelligence service GRU. His company has in the meantime closed its doors.

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The online newspaper believes that the police carried out a search of Labin's home in June 2025, after which he was arrested. According to The Insider, he was arrested as part of an investigation into the smuggling of goods to Russia.

Viktor Labin and his sons are alleged to have used back channels to supply military goods, such as measuring equipment, to various Russian defence companies, thereby circumventing European sanctions.

^{Russia's President Vladimir Putin © PHOTO Maxim SHIPENKOV / POOL / AFP}

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