Russia intensifies sabotage in Europe to reduce military aid to Ukraine
Western intelligence agencies have detected an increase in low-level sabotage operations in Europe, which they believe are part of a Russian campaign to undermine military support for Ukraine – The New York Times.
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Recently, the activities of the Russian military intelligence agency, the Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU), in Europe have intensified. According to security services, the GRU has been involved in a series of arson attacks aimed at undermining military assistance to Ukraine. U.S. and European security officials have reported an increase in sabotage operations as part of Russia’s strategy to slow down the supply of weapons to Ukraine. These sabotage operations include arson attacks or attempted arson attacks on warehouses in England, factories in Poland, homes in Latvia, and, most unusually, Ikea stores in Lithuania. In addition, individuals suspected of collaborating with Russian intelligence have been detained for attempted attacks on U.S. military bases. While the individual incidents may appear to be random, U.S. and European officials believe they are part of a larger Russian strategy to slow down the flow of weapons to Ukraine and create the impression of growing European “opposition” or “fatigue” with support for Ukraine. According to The New York Times, the GRU’s actions have not yet affected the flow of weapons to Ukraine. However, some security officials point out that Russia is trying to sow fear and force European countries to tighten security along the entire arms supply chain, which increases costs and slows down the delivery process. European leaders warn of a growing threat. Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said that Russia is waging a “shadow war” against Europe. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki announces the arrest of 12 people accused of “beating, arson and attempted arson.” Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre noted that his country had received warnings of possible attacks on arms factories, which emphasizes the seriousness of the threat from Russia.
