Russian sabotage operations in NATO countries aim to disrupt aid to Ukraine - ISW
Kyiv • UNN
Russia is intensifying arson attacks, sabotage, and drone incursions into the airspace of NATO countries. The goal is to disrupt aid to Ukraine and test the Alliance.
Russia continues to expand its “kinetic” activities in Europe, which are likely aimed at disrupting Western aid to Ukraine and testing NATO’s resolve. This is reported by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), UNN reports.
Details
Analysts recall that Romania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported on October 17 that the Romanian Air Force had detected and shot down two unidentified drones near the southeastern border with Ukraine over the Black Sea.
Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius reported that, during the night of October 17–18, unidentified individuals attempted to set fire to a facility belonging to a Lithuanian company that stores Starlink communications equipment, and attributed the incident to Russia’s kinetic activity against Europe. Sinkevičius noted that the arson attempt in Lithuania on October 18 was similar to incidents in Poland and Bulgaria
The ISW assesses that Russia has recently intensified its kinetic activity against Europe, including through arson attacks and other sabotage attempts against European defense-industry enterprises supplying weapons to Ukraine, as well as drone incursions into European airspace, in an effort to disrupt the transportation of Western aid and military equipment to Ukraine.
Recall
The day before, two Romanian Air Force F-16s shot down drones that had entered the country’s airspace. The targets were destroyed over territorial waters.