Kremlin reportedly uses civilian structures for sabotage, new intel reveals
Vladimir Putin (photo: Getty Images)
Intelligence warns that Russia is turning real estate across Western Europe into a network of "Trojan horses" for conducting coordinated sabotage operations, according to The Telegraph.
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Real estate as a tool of espionage
According to the article, Russian intelligence services are buying housing, warehouses, abandoned schools, and even islands near military and civilian facilities in at least a dozen European countries.
“Exploiting weak legal frameworks, clandestine Russian units are suspected of purchasing sensitive real estate close to military and civilian sites in at least a dozen European nations,” the article states.
These objects, according to experts, may serve as launching pads for surveillance, sabotage, and covert attacks.
Danger of hidden weapons
Current and former European intelligence officers warn that explosives, drones, weapons, and undercover agents may already be present at some of these sites.
The article notes that over four years of the full-scale war against Ukraine, the number of sabotage incidents linked to Russia in Europe has increased: arson attacks in London and Warsaw, parcel bomb explosions, assassination attempts, and other attacks. Intelligence officials believe some of these cases may have been test runs.
NATO “Gray zone” strategy
Experts warn that the Kremlin may test NATO’s resolve by operating in the so-called gray zone, organizing attacks on transport, energy, and communication networks without direct military strikes.
“A sabotage campaign is less likely to produce consensus around Article 5 than a conventional Russian military operation,” one of the sources said.
The new head of MI6, Blaise Metraveli, emphasized that the UK is operating in the space between peace and war, adding that Russia is testing the West with tactics slightly below the threshold of open conflict.
The article also reports on the possible use of spy ships and a shadow fleet to place sensors and explosives near underwater cables, while similar strategies could likely be used on land near critical infrastructure.
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