Russia Prepares Sabotage Acts ‘With High Potential for Damage’ Across Europe, Intelligence Agencies Warn

Russia has already begun to more actively prepare undercover attacks with bombs, arson and destruction of infrastructure on European territory, directly and through intermediaries, with a visibly limited concern that it will kill civilians, believe the officials of the intelligence services, quoted by the British publication.

While Kremlin operatives have a long history of such operations and have launched sporadic attacks in Europe in recent years, there is growing evidence of a more aggressive and concerted effort, according to assessments from three European countries shared with Financial Times.

“We assess that the risk of acts of state-controlled sabotage has increased significantly,” Thomas Haldenwang, the head of Germany’s domestic intelligence service, told a security conference last month organized by his agency, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution.

He added that Russia now seems comfortable conducting operations on European soil “with a high potential for damage.”

Series of incidents in several European countries

Haldenwang’s remarks came days after two German-Russian nationals were arrested in Bayreuth, Bavaria, on April 18, accused of plotting to attack military and logistics sites in Germany on behalf of Russia.

Also around the same time, two men were charged in Britain with setting a fire at a warehouse containing aid shipments to Ukraine on behalf of the Russian government.

Meanwhile, in Sweden, security services are investigating a series of recent rail derailments, which they suspect may be acts of state-sponsored sabotage.

In the Czech Republic, Russia tried to destroy railway signaling systems, the Czech transport minister told the Financial Times last month.

In Estonia, an attack on the interior minister’s car in February and attacks on journalists were carried out by Russian intelligence agents, the country’s Internal Security Service said.

The French Ministry of Defense also warned this year of possible Russian sabotage of military sites.

“The obvious conclusion is that there has been a real intensification of Russian activity,” said Keir Giles, a senior consultant at Chatham House, a London-based think tank.

NATO, “concerned about hostile activities” of Russia

A senior European government official said information was shared through NATO’s security services about “clear and convincing Russian wrongdoing” that was coordinated and widespread.

The time has come to “increase awareness and focus” on the threat of Russian violence on European territory, he warned.

At the same time, on Thursday, May 2, NATO issued a statement in which it declared itself “deeply concerned” by Russia’s “increasingly numerous hostile activities on allied territory”, noting that it is an “intensifying campaign throughout the Euro-Atlantic area “.

Growing fears about Russia’s appetite for physical damage against its adversaries come after a wave of accusations against Russia over disinformation and hacking campaigns.

For example, on Friday Germany promised consequences for Moscow – in a statement backed by the EU and NATO – over a 2023 hacking attack on Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democratic party.

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