Report: Russian Sabotage Operations In Europe Have Quadrupled Since 2023

Russia has dramatically increased sabotage operations throughout Europe, a new report has found, with the number of attacks targeting critical infrastructure nearly quadrupling since 2023.

The findings, by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, dovetail with a growing number of press reports, indictments, and intelligence warnings alleging Moscow has made covert sabotage and surveillance operations a major priority, aimed at destabilizing European governments.

"While Russia has so far failed to achieve its primary aim, European capitals have struggled to respond to Russian sabotage operations and have found it challenging to agree a unified response, coordinate action, develop effective deterrence measures and impose sufficient costs on the Kremlin," the report by the London-based think tank said.

The scope of so-called hybrid attacks blamed on Russia includes arson attacks, incidents where ships have damaged undersea communications cables, disruption of GPS satellite navigation signals, and the hacking of computer infrastructure.

The bulk of the targets, the report released August 19 found, are in Ukraine or are connected to European efforts to support or supply Ukraine with military and other civilian hardware. The uptick of incidents coincided with Russia's all-out invasion of Ukraine, launched in February 2022, and spiked in 2023 and 2024, quadrupling over that period.

The report also tallied a slowdown in attacks in the first half of 2025, though it was unclear exactly what that could be attributed to.

European and other Western governments have expelled dozens of Russian intelligence officers, many working under diplomatic cover, dating back to before the Ukraine invasion.

That has forced Russian agencies to turn to proxy or mercenary-type of operations, where people are hired, some unwittingly, to carry out sabotage or other operations.

Last month, a British court convicted three men of setting fire to a London warehouse where Ukrainian-bound equipment was being stored, a plot prosecutors said was orchestrated by operatives linked to the Russian mercenary company Wagner.

In a related incident, three Ukrainians have been accused of trying to set fire to properties linked to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

"Russia has exploited gaps in legal systems through its 'gig economy' approach, enabling it to avoid attribution and responsibility. Since 2022 and the expulsion of hundreds of its intelligence officers from European capitals, Russia has been highly effective in its online recruitment of third-country nationals to circumvent European counter-intelligence measures," the report said.

There was no immediate response to the report from Russian officials.

European governments have also under-invested in maintaining security systems for critical infrastructure, the report said, even as fears mount that the covert campaign could be part of a longer-term effort by Russia.

"Some NATO member states have assessed Russia's unconventional war to be part of its long-term preparations for a potential military confrontation with NATO," the report said.