The threat to the UK and its major European partners from Russian “sabotage” is “significantly increased”, according to the head of Germany’s spy agency.
European spy chiefs are warning that the Kremlin is plotting acts of violence across the continent, as Putin puts Russia on a permanent war footing with the West.
The FT reports that intelligence officials believe Russia is preparing bombings, arson attacks, and assaults on European infrastructure.
There is historical precedent for the Kremlin engaging in such activity, however according to the publication, three European states have assessed that the Russian president is ramping up the plots to strike NATO members at home.
Thomas Haldenwang, head of German domestic intelligence, said: “We assess the risk of state-controlled acts of sabotage to be significantly increased”.
He told a security conference last month put on by his agency that Russia appeared more comfortable than before to carry out operations in Europe with “a high potential for damage”.
His comments come amid a wave of attacks across the continent, from the UK, to Sweden, Estonia, Germany and the Czech Republic.
In late April, two men in Britain were detained for starting a fire at a warehouse containing aid shipments for Ukraine. They are accused of working for the Kremlin.
Dylan Earl, 20, from Elmesthorpe in Leicestershire, and Jake Reeves, 22, from Croydon, south London, were charged with helping Russia intelligence, following a fire at a warehouse in Leyton, east London in March.
The attack took place on an industrial estate, on a warehouse owned by a Ukrainian-linked business.
Nick Price, head of the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said of Mr Earl: “Included in the alleged activity was involvement in the planning of an arson attack on a Ukrainian-linked commercial property in March 2024.”
He said that Mr Earl is “alleged to have engaged in conduct targeting businesses which were linked to Ukraine in order to benefit the Russian state”.
The Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) demanded to speak to the Russian ambassador Andrey Kelin to the UK, following the allegations.
An FCDO spokesperson said the UK remains “deeply concerned by allegations of Russian-orchestrated malign activity on UK soil”.
It added: “We will continue to work with our allies to deter and defend against the full spectrum of threats that emanate from Russia”.
