cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/12018405

The original article is behind a paywall.

Russian leader Vladimir Putin has ordered an escalation of sabotage operations against NATO countries, potentially setting the stage for a new wave of hybrid attacks across Europe, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on October 20, citing three European officials familiar with US intelligence.

According to the officials, the Kremlin’s decision is linked to Russia’s limited battlefield gains in Ukraine, increasingly damaging Ukrainian strikes against military and strategic targets inside Russia, and Kyiv’s refusal to accept Moscow’s terms for ending the war.

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One European official told the Journal that after the incident, an informal contact in Moscow warned that similar operations were likely to follow.

The expectation, according to the report, is that future sabotage would be intended not only to cause physical disruption but also to destabilize European societies and strengthen political movements opposed to continued military support for Ukraine.

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The investigation into the Leipzig incident has already helped Western security services uncover what authorities describe as a Moscow-linked covert network operating across Europe.

Investigators reportedly identified safe houses and weapons caches in several European cities, while members of the network were suspected of moving explosives, drones, and weapons across borders.

Investigators believe the operation was coordinated by Oleg Levushkin, a former Russian serviceman who was allegedly recruited by Russia’s GRU military intelligence service.

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Levushkin oversaw a network that used Serbia as a transit point for moving drones and explosives toward Germany.

Serbian prosecutors have since announced the arrests of seven people, including one dual Russian-Serbian citizen, on suspicion of involvement in the group allegedly directed by Levushkin.

The reported order would mark another escalation in Russia’s broader hybrid campaign against European countries, which Western governments have already linked to sabotage, cyberattacks, arson plots, disinformation operations, and other covert activity.

Earlier, reports emerged that Russian forces are collecting Ukrainian drones that survive crashes or electronic warfare interference, repairing them, and preparing the aircraft for possible future provocations.

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