Russia's increasing acts of sabotage in Europe in recent months may not be isolated tactical incidents, but rather elements of preparation for a large-scale confrontation.
Modern.az reports that the "Financial Times" publication writes about this, citing European intelligence services.
NATO's "Joint Threat Assessment" report for 2023 also noted that Moscow is preparing its army and economy for a potential war with Europe by 2029.
According to the information, consecutive sabotage attempts have been recorded in several European countries. Explosive packages containing magnesium loads were sent to DHL logistics centers in Poland, Germany, and Great Britain. A terrorist attack was prevented on the Warsaw–Lublin highway in Poland. Arson attempts at shopping centers, attempts to place explosives on bridges and railways, as well as attempts to interfere with water supply systems have been recorded in a number of countries.
Intelligence services report that the composition of explosives seized from saboteurs was also suitable for attacking passenger aircraft. Such a successful attack would be the biggest blow to air transport since the September 11 events.
Most of the perpetrators are citizens of Eastern European countries or members of local criminal groups. Contact with them is mainly established via messengers, and payment is made with cryptocurrency. The coordination of one of the operations exposed in Poland is linked to Mikhail Mirgorodsky, an employee of the Russian Federal Security Service.
Arson attacks on objects associated with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and similar incidents in other parts of Europe are also evaluated as elements of a unified scheme. Germany, Poland, and Estonia state that the nature of recent sabotage attempts is approaching the methods of international terrorism.
According to Daniella Richterova, a researcher at King's College London, the scale of the sabotages recalls the Soviet KGB's "war preparation" methodology: small, seemingly random acts of sabotage are carried out during peacetime, while larger-scale operations are launched during wartime.
European intelligence services believe that the current process may indicate that Moscow has entered a new phase in its confrontation with the West, which increases the long-term security risk.
