Russia is suspected of planning bombings and arson targeting Europe, reports The Financial Times newspaper.
14:29•Updated 14:32
European intelligence services warn that Russia is planning sabotage attacks, reports on Sunday The Financial Times business magazine.
According to the experts interviewed by the newspaper, Russia does not shy away from methods such as bombings and arson, because it considers itself to have entered into a more permanent conflict with the Western powers.
FT’s data comes from three different European countries.
According to the newspaper, suspected sabotages possibly linked to Russia have already been detected in, for example, Sweden, Estonia, the Czech Republic and Germany.
Recently, several people have also been arrested around Europe on suspicion of spying for Russia.
– Our assessment is that the risk of state sabotage attacks will increase significantly, comments the head of Germany’s domestic intelligence Thomas Haldenwang.
Reasons unclear
According to FT, Russia has a long history of sabotage attacks in Europe.
Russian researcher Keir Giles says in an interview with the newspaper that it is difficult to assess what Russia’s intelligence activities, which are now becoming public, actually tell.
One option is that Russia spies more. Another possibility is that they spy even worse for some reason and therefore get caught.
It is also possible that Western intelligence services have simply become better at catching Russian operators.
– Whatever it is, something is going on there – and a lot of it, says Giles.