<
https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/may/30/europe-on-high-alert-after-suspected-moscow-linked-arson-and-sabotage>
"Security services around Europe are on alert to a potential new weapon of
Russia’s war – arson and sabotage – after a spate of mystery fires and attacks
on infrastructure in the Baltics, Germany and the UK.
When a fire broke out in Ikea in Vilnius in Lithuania this month, few passed
any remarks until the Polish prime minister, Donald Tusk, suggested it could
have been the work of a foreign saboteur.
Investigators have already alleged potential Russian involvement in an arson
attack in east London, an inferno that destroyed the largest shopping mall in
Poland, a sabotage attempt in Bavaria in Germany and antisemitic graffiti in
Paris.
While there is no evidence that any of these incidents across the continent are
coordinated, security services believe they could be part of an attempt by
Moscow to destabilise the west, which has backed Ukraine.
They point out that after the cold war, foreign intelligence operations
consisted of spies and their handlers, but in the era of social media, vandals
can be hired, leaving few connections to other attackers as pay-as-you-go
saboteurs paid a few hundred euros or in cryptocurrency.
Such is the emerging concern that these hybrid attacks could be the work of
Russia that the issue was raised at a summit of foreign and defence ministers
in Brussels this week with Dutch, Estonian and Lithuanian security officials
all warning of national vulnerabilities.
One minister, who asked not to be named said, they were deeply worried about
“sabotage, physical sabotage, organised, financed and done by Russian
proxies”."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
