Belarusian and Russian security services are preparing to take "preventive" measures against NATO member states, said the head of Russian foreign intelligence Sergei Naryshkin, quoted by the "Times" newspaper, BNR reported.
This happened after Naryshkin met in Minsk with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
Sergey Naryshkin accused NATO of increasing military activity near the borders of both countries. Belarus is Russia's strongest ally in Europe and the Kremlin uses its territory for attacks against Ukraine. Moscow also claims to have transferred tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus.
"We feel and see that European countries, especially France, Britain and Germany, are increasing the level of escalation around the Ukrainian conflict, so we must act preemptively. We are ready for this," Naryshkin said during talks with Lukashenko. Naryshkin, a prominent former KGB officer, did not provide further details or evidence for his claim of a NATO buildup near the borders of Belarus and Russia, the Times reported.
Western security officials suspect that agents from both sides have orchestrated dozens of arson and sabotage attacks in Europe since President Putin ordered tanks to enter Ukraine in 2022. The Kremlin's "shadow war" in Europe is aimed at creating "political unrest" in Europe and undermine support for Ukraine, NATO claims. The newspaper cites a report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, which says that sabotage is a favorite tactic of Moscow, while explicitly stating that no sabotage has been registered in Hungary or Serbia - the Kremlin's biggest allies in Europe besides Belarus.
Four journalists were sentenced in Russia to five and a half years in prison each on charges of collaborating with the "Anti-Corruption Fund" founded by the late opposition figure Alexei Navalny.
Artyom Krieger and Antonina Kravtsova work for the Sota vision project, Konstantin Gabov is a producer at the "Reuters" news service, and Sergei Karelin works for the "Associated Press".
The four were found guilty of participating in an extremist organization, which the Russian authorities have declared the "Anti-Corruption Fund" corruption".
Antonina Kravtsova covered the cases against Alexei Navalny, and Krieger, Gabov, and Karelin conducted surveys for his YouTube channel.