Russian intelligence services have become more aggressive in their attempts to steal Western technology and defense industry secrets amid sanctions that are putting pressure on the country's wartime economy, Associated Press reports, citing three senior European intelligence officials, according to UNN.
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According to them, Moscow's agents are setting up front companies, recruiting intermediaries, and using cyber spies and hackers to gather information that could also be used for attacks on key infrastructure.
Four years of international sanctions have complicated Moscow's ability to procure equipment, technology, and conduct research in Europe, while the grueling war in Ukraine has undermined key industries and pushed the country toward a potential financial crisis.
"They really know what they need," and are making "serious efforts" to obtain advanced machine tools, factory equipment, research, and the development of dual-use technologies, said Kristoffer Wedelin, deputy head of operations at the Swedish Security Service.
In Sweden, Russia has targeted the defense industry and high-tech research into the country's advanced weaponry, such as the Gripen fighter jet, Wedelin said. According to him, it is also trying to obtain camera and laser technologies developed for civilian purposes that can be integrated into Russian weapons systems.
Moscow is also trying to steal technology to keep pace with the West or gain an advantage over it in the coming decades, said Juha Martelius, director of the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service.
"It's about space technology, quantum... Arctic technology, maritime technology," he said, adding that Russia needs space technology "right now," without going into details. Countries use such technologies for satellite imagery, communications, and navigation.
Russia also needs sanctioned updates to computer technology and software for machine tools, Martelius said.
According to Wedelin, as technology acquisition schemes become more complex, companies must be more aware that they may inadvertently become part of the Russian military supply chain.
"All security and intelligence services in Russia are assisting the state in its efforts," he said.
Moscow is also deploying cyberattacks against European firms and critical infrastructure in an attempt to gather information it can use "when they have the opportunity and when it serves their purpose," Wedelin said.
"They are no longer as concerned about potential attribution following their activities, so they are taking greater risks to achieve their goals," he said.
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