Vladimir Putin is “escalating” a sabotage and destabilisation campaign against European NATO member states to deter further military assistance to Ukraine, experts have said.
NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary General James Appathurai told the European Parliament on January 28 that member states have faced acts of sabotage in recent years, such train derailments, arson, attacks against politicians’ property and assassination plots against defence industry bosses.
This includes a Kremlin plot to assassinate the chief of Rheinmetall – a German automotive and arms manufacturer – Armin Papperger.
Appathurai highlights that the Russia aims to “create disquiet to undermine support for Ukraine”, and called for NATO states to more assertively deter Russian sabotage acts, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reports.
It adds: “The Kremlin has consistently attempted to use information operations to deter Western states from providing additional military assistance to Ukraine.
“The Kremlin’s sabotage and destabilisation campaign directly targeting NATO states supports ISW’s assessment that Russian President Vladimir Putin sees Russia as waging a hybrid war directly against NATO.”
The Defence Secretary, John Healey, told MPs on January 22: “The heads of MI6 and the CIA recently stated together in a joint statement that Russia is waging a ‘reckless campaign of sabotage’ across Europe.
“We’re seeing periodic incursions of Russian military aircraft into airspace for which we are responsible.
“And on Christmas Day, the Estlink2 undersea cable between Finland and Estonia was damaged. Many analysts believe this was caused by a vessel in Russia’s Shadow Fleet.”
The Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has accused Russia of planning sabotage aqcross the world, including “acts of air terror” against airlines, AP reports.
He said: “I will not go into details, I can only confirm the validity of fears that Russia was planning acts of air terror, not only against Poland, but against airlines around the world.”
In November, the head of MI6, Richard Moore, said in a speech: “We have recently uncovered a staggeringly reckless campaign of Russian sabotage in Europe, even as Putin and his acolytes resort to nuclear sabre-rattling to sow fear about the consequences of aiding Ukraine.”
