The Kremlin is using criminal networks, mercenaries, and marginalized perpetrators as a cheap tool of terror and destabilization in EU countries. This is reported in an article by the German publication Der Spiegel, according to UNN.
Details
It is noted that Russia is increasingly relying on organized crime for acts of sabotage and targeted assassinations of undesirable individuals.
"Cooperation between the Russian authorities and organized crime figures is particularly advantageous in destructive activities such as sabotage or assassinations,"
It is pointed out that Russian-Eurasian organized crime, which includes gangs from the countries of the former Soviet Union, can hardly escape the Kremlin's control. At the same time, federal security agencies have identified a "large number of suspicious cases of possible sabotage operations carried out on behalf of the Russian state."
"Furthermore, according to the German government, since the beginning of 2023/2024, Russia has increasingly used so-called low-level agents in sabotage operations—individuals recruited online without professional intelligence training. Experts sometimes refer to them as 'disposable agents,' and Russia clearly accepts the risk of their exposure," the article states.
Recall
According to the Center for Countering Disinformation of the NSDC of Ukraine, Russia is escalating hybrid operations in EU countries, massively recruiting perpetrators via the internet.