Western Officials Say Russia Is Behind Campaign of Sabotage Across Europe
Western officials have accused Russia and its proxies of staging dozens of attacks and other incidents across Europe since the invasion of Ukraine three years ago, according to data collected by The Associated Press.
The AP documented 59 incidents in which European governments, prosecutors, intelligence services or other Western officials blamed Russia, groups linked to Russia or its ally Belarus for cyberattacks, spreading propaganda, plotting killings or committing acts of vandalism, arson, sabotage or espionage since the Feb. 24, 2022, invasion.
The incidents range from stuffing car tailpipes with expanding foam in Germany to a plot to plant explosives on cargo planes. They include setting fire to stores and a museum, hacking that targeted politicians and critical infrastructure, and spying by a ring convicted in the U.K.
Richard Moore, the head of Britain’s foreign intelligence service, called it a “staggeringly reckless campaign” in November.
"It is often difficult to prove Russia's involvement, and the Kremlin denied carrying out a sabotage campaign against the West," said James Appathurai, the NATO official responsible for the alliance’s response to such threats. "But more and more governments are publicly attributing attacks to Russia."
The alleged disruption has a double purpose, Appathurai told the AP. One is to create “political disquiet” and undermine citizens’ support for their governments and the other is to “undercut support for Ukraine,"
During the investigation, the AP spoke to 15 current officials, including two prime ministers, and officials from five European intelligence services, three defense ministries and NATO, in addition to experts.
The AP plotted the incidents on a map to show the scope of the alleged campaign, which experts say is particularly worrying at a time when U.S. support for Ukraine is wavering and European allies are questioning Washington’s reliability as a security partner and ally.
Some incidents had the potential for catastrophic consequences, including mass casualties, as when packages exploded at shipping facilities in Germany and the U.K. Western officials said they suspected the packages were part of a broader plot by Russian intelligence to put bombs on cargo planes headed to the U.S. and Canada.
In another case, Western intelligence agencies uncovered what they said was a Russian plot to kill the head of a major German arms manufacturer that is a supplier of weapons to Ukraine.
European authorities are investigating several cases of damage to infrastructure under the Baltic Sea, including to a power cable linking Estonia and Finland. Finnish authorities detained a ship, suspected of being part of Russia’s “shadow fleet” used to avoid sanctions, after that cable and others were damaged.
When a fake French Defense Ministry website claimed citizens were being called up to fight in Ukraine, a French minister denounced it as Russian disinformation.
German authorities suspect that the sabotage campaign is linked to Russia's ongoing war with Ukraine. “If we are to have a chance of stemming the threat,” said David Salvo, managing director of the Alliance for Securing Democracy at the German Marshall Fund, “then we have to work together.”