Exclusive photographs published Friday reveal the pivotal meeting in China where a high-ranking Greek Air Force officer was allegedly recruited to leak classified military data, capping an investigation triggered by a CIA tip-off.
The images, released by iefimerida.gr, capture the 54-year-old squadron leader in Beijing during the autumn of 2024.
He is shown alongside "Steven," a contact who initially approached him online posing as a tech headhunter, and "William," a superior introduced to finalize the espionage agreement.
According to the report, the officer—identified in earlier court proceedings as Colonel Christos Flessas—agreed to terms during this trip.
Upon his return to the Kavouri base, Mr. Flessas allegedly began photographing sensitive documents using a specialized app that encrypted the files for decryption solely by his handlers in China.
The operation collapsed last week when authorities, acting on U.S. intelligence, arrested Mr. Flessas while he was transmitting data.
He has been jailed pending trial.
While Mr. Flessas has admitted to the interactions, his legal team argues he was coerced.
The case is now viewed as one of Europe’s most serious security breaches, as investigators probe whether the "Steven" and "William" network has penetrated other NATO defenses.
By Katia Niakari