Attacks, sabotage… An attack by Russia feared by European intelligence

Several States including France would have been alerted by the German intelligence services about the "imminence" of several attacks “with high potential” of human and material damage, announces the Financial Times.

Europe on its guard. This Sunday, May 5, 2024, the head of the German domestic intelligence services Thomas Haldenwang would have warned his French, Swedish and British counterparts of a "risk of" #39;acts of sabotage initiated by the Russian state which "has'considerably increased". The Financial Times reveals that Russia is considering intensifying its efforts to carry out terrorist attacks. clandestine bombs, arson and damage to infrastructure on European soil. The German official insists on "the'imminence" of several attacks “with high potential” of human and material damage. The Kremlin would then confirm its direct involvement in a conflict with the West. 

Operations in progress ?

In fact, certain elements suggest that the operation to destabilize Russia has already taken root. start. The British economic daily first mentions the fire in a warehouse in the United Kingdom containing cargoes of goods. destination Ukraine. In addition, two German-Russian nationals were arrested. arrested for planning attacks against military and logistical sites. 

"Russia has already started à prepare attacks more actively “clandestine bombs, arson and damage to infrastructure on European soil, directly or through proxies,” explains the British media. In Sweden, a series of train derailments is worrying the authorities. These latest suspicions put the Kremlin under suspicion of acts of sabotage. Similar facts on the Czech railways and attacks on certain vehicles of civil servants in Estonia further push the European authorities to take action. vigilance. 

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"A major intensification of activity' Russian"

For Keir Giles, Russia specialist consultant at the Chatham House think tank, "the obvious conclusion is that there has been a major intensification of activity' ;eacute; Russian" he assures in the Financial Times. On the other hand, “it's impossible to say whether this is because the Russians are devoting more resources to it, whether they are no longer careless and get caught, or whether Western counterintelligence has simply become better at detecting and stopping these activities. he concludes. NATO has already done so. alerté on "malicious activities" of Russia on European soil. The organization calls for support. vigilance over operations dictated by the Kremlin, & small like &agrav; large scale. 

Disinformation and hacking campaigns

However, Russia's threats are not limited to physical attacks. The fight undertaken by the Kremlin also includes campaigns of disinformation and computer hacking. Already, in February 2023, the French organization fighting against digital interference has announced its decision foreigners, VIGINUM, highlighted the existence of nearly 200 information portals serving pro-Russian propaganda. This network nicknamed "Portal Kombat" is not without consequences on France, "denigrating the authorities of kyiv, in order to influence public opinions, particularly Frenchç comfortable" specified the general secretariat of defense and security. national (SGDSN). "The "network constitutes "foreign digital interference" indicated the technical report. Enough to encourage à the greatest caution. 

In April, NATO declared itself deeply concerned by "malicious activities&quot ; of Russia on the territories of its allies and invited the member states to the highest level of vigilance in the face of à the evolution of the threat. In the columns of the Financial Times, experts agree He said Russia's attacks have multiple goals, including creating disruption, spreading disinformation, and testing Europe's defenses. For its part, Moscow considers all these allegations “absurd”.