russian operations. modern sabotage. European special services. russian news

russian media claim that European leaders are artificially stirring up ‘hysteria’ around the ‘russian threat’ and actually admit that there is no convincing evidence of this. ‘European intelligence services have only recorded “suspicious activity” by unidentified individuals studying infrastructure (bridges, railways, energy facilities), but the connection between these incidents and russia, according to them, has not been proven.’ Some propagandists even refer to an article in the Financial Times dated 9 December 2025. 

Propagandists emphasise that Western sources themselves (not named in the publications) allegedly admit that these are random young people recruited via the internet, without special training and without understanding who they are working for. Based on these facts, European special services ‘automatically’ attribute fires, drone incidents and accidents to russian operations, creating an atmosphere of chaos and fear that is used to influence public opinion and control Europe through the threat of an external enemy.
In reality, this is yet another manipulation by the kremlin's special services: the Financial Times article contains no mention of ‘hysteria’ or acknowledgement of the threat being fabricated: https://www.ft.com/content/2084e87d-d491-4852-8449-f90b73d4788b On the contrary, the article consistently describes the escalation of covert sabotage and subversion in Europe, which Western intelligence services and experts link to russia's actions. The author emphasises that such operations are difficult to prove in a legal sense, but cannot be ignored from the point of view of security and risk to the civilian population.
The FT journalist relies not on abstract suspicions, but on specific documented cases. The article mentions the explosions of DHL parcels at logistics centres in the UK, Poland and Germany in July 2024, which could have led to disaster if they had detonated on board an aircraft during flight. It also describes an attempt to blow up the Warsaw-Lublin railway line, which Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called ‘an unprecedented act of sabotage’ aimed at causing mass casualties. The publication also cites solved cases of arson in London, whose perpetrators admitted to their connection with the Wagner Group (a private military company from russia). Separately, it examines an incident involving the russian-linked tanker Eagle S, which damaged underwater cables in the Baltic Sea.
Secondly, the Financial Times article states that moscow has changed its recruitment tactics to cover its tracks in special operations. The publication explains in detail that recruitment via messengers, payment in cryptocurrency, and the use of intermediaries and criminal networks are part of the so-called ‘gig economy’ of modern sabotage. This model reduces direct control over perpetrators but allows for scaling up attacks.
Thirdly, the FT does not claim that European intelligence services ‘attribute everything to russia.’ On the contrary, the article emphasises the important difference between operational intelligence assessments and legal standards of proof. According to the authors of the article, it is precisely this legal and institutional ‘grey area’ that russia deliberately exploits, counting on the caution of democratic states and the complexity of publicly proving hybrid operations.
Ultimately, the Financial Times' key conclusion is that what was recently perceived as ‘minor jabs’ and minor incidents are now increasingly seen as a systemic escalation, and Europe is effectively being tested on its ability to recognise, qualify and deter hybrid aggression.
The kremlin's shadow fleet is being used for espionage and sabotage in European waters.
CNN, citing Ukrainian and Western intelligence, has established that russia's ‘shadow fleet’ is being used not only to circumvent sanctions, but also for espionage and sabotage in European waters: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/12/18/europe/russia-oil-tankers-spying-europe-intelligence-sources-intl-invs
Before leaving the ports of the Baltic and Black Seas, several russians with security experience were added to individual tankers, often under the guise of ‘technicians.’ In the documents, they were often the only russian citizens on board among foreign crews.
According to intelligence reports, some of these individuals are linked to Moran Security, a private security company affiliated with the kremlin's military and special services and subject to US sanctions in 2024. Among them are former mercenaries, including those associated with the Wagner Group. Ukrainian intelligence has regularly recorded their presence on tankers over the past six months.
One of CNN's sources confirmed that Moran personnel photographed European military facilities from aboard ships and monitored captains, most of whom are not russian citizens. European maritime services have noted the aggressive behaviour of these individuals, their military uniforms and their active surveillance of port and coastal infrastructure.
Intelligence agencies do not rule out a connection between the movements of the shadow fleet's tankers and a series of mysterious drone incidents near airports and military bases in Denmark, Sweden and France. This is seen as another tool in the kremlin's hybrid warfare arsenal.
Fake: NATO is trying to prevent the transport of russian cargo in the Baltic region.
At the same time, the Kremlin accuses NATO of unfriendly actions and provocations. ‘NATO wants to restrict maritime cargo transportation in the Baltic Sea that benefits Russia as much as possible,’ said maria zakharova, an official representative of the russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She also stated that the region is being actively militarised and pumped up by NATO coalition forces. At the same time, the alliance countries are not showing openness to discussing ways to de-escalate the situation.
In fact, according to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, no one can interfere with freedom of navigation unless the ship violates basic principles (most often this refers to false registration). But even in this case, the most that NATO and coastal countries can do is to tow the ship away, force it to fix technical problems, register it and pay a fine. In fact, there has been only one confiscation of a ‘shadow’ vessel by a European country: in January 2025, Germany detained the tanker Eventin because the oil-laden vessel was adrift off the coast of the island of Rügen, posing a serious threat of an environmental disaster.
The NATO Baltic Sentry mission, launched in January 2025, is actually aimed at protecting underwater infrastructure. At the end of 2024, there were several incidents of damage to underwater power lines and data cables connecting Germany and Finland, Sweden and Lithuania, and Estonia and Finland. In one case, the culprit was the Chinese vessel Yi Peng 3, which was sailing from the russian port of Ust-Luga to Port Said in Egypt (https://cepa.org/article/vortex-stand-off-at-sea/). In another case, it was the tanker Eagle S, flying the flag of the Cook Islands and belonging to the russian ‘shadow fleet,’ which was sailing from the same Ust-Luga to the Turkish port of Aliaga: https://www.bbc.com/russian/articles/ce8enp4nqrqo 
After these incidents, NATO countries began daily patrols of the Baltic Sea. In addition, underwater sensors were installed for continuous surveillance. Ships suspected of belonging to the ‘shadow fleet’ are being inspected. In October 2025, the American destroyer Bulkeley with an air defence system joined the mission.
The decrease in infrastructure damage clearly demonstrates the effectiveness of the mission. At the same time, the Baltic Sentry mission did not cause any damage to legal russian cargo transportation.
Based on materials from Stopfake.org, Spravdi.ua
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