Investigators have identified a civilian woman as the alleged mastermind behind the recruitment of a Greek Air Force commander accused of spying for China, state broadcaster ERT has reported.
Authorities described the woman as a “shadow figure” with no military background who allegedly operated as a senior handler in a pyramid-style espionage network.
Officials believe she persuaded the 54-year-old wing commander to leak classified NATO data.
Intelligence services reportedly possess surveillance photographs of the woman meeting the officer and a foreign operative in Athens in 2025.
While the network is linked to Chinese intelligence, ERT noted the foreign operative used an American surname.
The revelations follow the Friday arrest of the officer at the Kavouri air base, a sting operation triggered by a CIA tip-off regarding the transmission of sensitive data via encrypted devices.
Investigators are now working to determine exactly when the woman, whose name has not been released, first approached the officer.
The commander remains in custody facing charges of espionage and is set to face military justice.