Western intelligence agencies, through the New York Times, are accusing Russia of a sabotage campaign in Europe to try to disrupt the flow of Western weapons to Ukraine, though they show not a shred of evidence. “U.S. and allied intelligence officials are tracking an increase in low-level sabotage operations in Europe that they say are part of a Russian campaign to undermine support for Ukraine’s war effort,” the Times asserts. “The covert operations have mostly been arsons or attempted arsons targeting a wide range of sites, including a warehouse in England, a paint factory in Poland, homes in Latvia and, most oddly, an IKEA store in Lithuania.” The idea, they claim, is to “create the appearance of growing European opposition to support for Ukraine.”
An IKEA cheap furniture store, really? The warehouse in England, which burned in March, was allegedly connected to the movement of arms to Ukraine, but this has not been confirmed by British authorities.
Nonetheless, European leaders have jumped on the bandwagon to scare Europeans with the claim that arsonists from the GRU, Russia’s military intelligence branch, are playing around in their backyards. Prime Minister Donald Tusk of Poland announced the arrest of 12 people accused of carrying out “beatings, arson and attempted arson” on behalf of Russian intelligence. And Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store of Norway said Russia posed “a real and serious threat,” after his country warned about possible attacks targeting energy producers and arms factories.
The Times also notes that NATO ambassadors are set to meet next month with Avril D. Haines, the U.S. Director of National Intelligence. Ms. Haines will provide an intelligence briefing on Russia’s war in Ukraine, but she will also discuss Moscow’s covert sabotage campaign in Europe.
In a commentary on the Times article, Avia.pro dismisses it as part of an effort to strengthen anti-Russian rhetoric. “Without evidence and based on assumptions, an image of an enemy is created, which must justify all the actions of NATO and the EU to increase military budgets and security measures. Such actions only fuel tension and create a false sense of constant threat,” the author writes. “Western politicians and the media seek to use every opportunity to discredit Russia. Any incident, even not directly related to military operations, is attributed to Russian intelligence. This allows the West to justify its sanctions and military spending while stoking fear among its citizens.”
