Officials called it ''a serious effort to undermine military support for Ukraine.''The attacks, at least so far, have not interrupted the weapons flow to Ukraine, and indeed many of the targets are not directly related to the war. But some security officials say Russia is trying to sow fear and force European nations to add security throughout the weapons supply chain, adding costs and slowing the pace of transfers.
Russia conducting ''shadow war'' against the Europe
NATO and European leaders have been warning of the growing threat. Prime Minister Kaja Kallas of Estonia said last week that Russia was conducting a ''shadow war'' against Europe. Prime Minister Donald Tusk of Poland announced the arrest of 12 people accused of carrying out ''beatings, arson and attempted arson'' for Russian intelligence.
And Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store of Norway said Russia posed ''a real and serious threat,'' after his country warned about possible attacks targeting energy producers and arms factories
Amid the growing concern about sabotage, NATO ambassadors are set to meet next month with Avril D. Haines, the US director of national intelligence.
Ms. Haines will provide an intelligence briefing on Russia’s war in Ukraine, but she will also discuss Moscow’s covert sabotage campaign in Europe.
Security officials would not describe their intelligence linking the sabotage to the G.R.U., but American and British spy services have penetrated the G.R.U. deeply. Before the war in Ukraine, the United States and Britain released declassified pieces of intelligence exposing various G.R.U. plans to create a false pretext for Russia’s invasion.
Read more:
- Ukrainian military stopped a Russian sabotage group in Kharkiv Oblast
- Latvian citizen accused of traveling to Ukraine to commit sabotage
- Kremlin intensifies sabotage and propagande in the West ahead of EU elections
- Belgium investigates Russian interference in EU election campaign
- EU launches task force to combat Russian interference in European elections
