Europe remains on alert for possible sabotage and fires caused by Russia
The security services in Europe are on alert for cases of sabotage and possible fires carried out by Russia, After mysterious attacks on infrastructure in the Baltics, Germany and the United Kingdom, as revealed this Thursday by the British newspaper ‘The Guardian’.
Incidents include a fire at an Ikea store facility in Vilnius, Lithuania, this month, as well as a recent arson attack in east London. Although there is no evidence of coordination Among these cases, the security services estimate that they could be part of a systematic attempt by Moscow to destabilize the West due to its support for Ukraine, the newspaper adds.
In the Cold War, the foreign intelligence operations They were carried out by spies, but in the era of social networks, those responsible for these attacks can be hired, without leaving a connection with other attackers.
These incidents have been raised at a summit of ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defense held in Brussels this week, in which Dutch, Estonian and Lithuanian security officials warned of national vulnerabilities.
A minister, who asked not to be identified, said they were deeply concerned about sabotage organized, financed and carried out by Russian proxies, it says. ‘The Guardian’.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk He stated last week that his country’s authorities had arrested nine people in connection with acts of sabotage allegedly committed by order of the Russian services.
According to him, the crimes allegedly included ‘beatings, arson and attempted arson’ and investigators were looking into whether Russia was involved in the fire at a shopping center in Warsaw, a claim the Russian embassy described as a conspiracy theory.
In April, a British man was accused of orchestrating an arson attack against two units linked to a Ukrainian businessman at an industrial estate in Leyton, east London, after he was allegedly recruited by Russian intelligence.
Likewise, Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur noted in Brussels on Tuesday that his country had already been a victim of Russian sabotage. “They have carried out similar operations in Estonia. They hired 10 people to attack the car of the Minister of the Interior and that of a journalist. This is normal Russian behavior. We are sorry to say it, but we must understand that Russia is increasingly aggressive towards European countries and also towards NATO countries,” she said.
The minister specifically referred to incidents that occurred in February, when the windows of the Interior Minister’s cars were broken, Lauri Läänemets, y de un periodista.
