Moscow Seizes on EU Fraud Probe to Claim Systemic Corruption

Russian officials cast the EPPO-led investigation into an EU-funded diplomatic training program as proof of deeper rot.

Overview

EPPO and the European Commission confirmed on December 2 searches at the EU diplomatic service residence in Brussels, the College of Europe in Bruges, and several homes, with three people temporarily detained.
European media reported that former EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and ex‑EEAS secretary‑general Stefano Sannino were among those detained, and Italian outlets later said they were released.
The investigation focuses on suspected tender fraud linked to an EU‑backed program for training young diplomats, with the formal probe continuing and limited public detail provided.
Russian Federation Council deputy chair Konstantin Kosachev said the EU would pretend nothing is happening and argued the problems are systemic.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova alleged corrupt chains connecting EU leadership to Kyiv and referenced Ukraine’s ‘Mindich’ case, framing these points as her political assertions.