Russian spies have turned properties in Western Europe into a network of "Trojan Horses" designed to allow coordinated surveillance and sabotage, WION reports, citing an investigation by The Telegraph.
Taking Advantage of Weak Legal Frameworks, Secret Russian Units Suspected of Buying Sensitive Real Estate Near Military and Civilian Infrastructure in at Least a Dozen European Countries.
Hybrid Warfare on European Soil
Officials say the acquisitions are part of Moscow's escalating "hybrid warfare" against the West following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Current and former officers at three European intelligence agencies have raised concerns that some sites may already contain explosives, drones, weapons or covert agents "ready to be activated in a crisis". Instead of conventional warfare, the Kremlin is accused of preparing deniable operations targeting transport, energy and communications networks.
NATO testing in the "gray zone"
Intelligence sources say sabotage offers Moscow strategic ambiguity. "A sabotage campaign is less likely to lead to a consensus around Article 5 than a conventional Russian military operation," said one officer. "Denial, whether plausible or not, makes attribution harder, and without certainty it becomes much harder to mobilize support." . Such tactics are designed to test NATO's resolve on the brink of open war.
Britain is seen as exposed
Blaise Metreveli, the head of MI6, warned in his first speech that Britain was "operating in a space between peace and war", adding: "Russia is testing us in the grey area with tactics that are just below the brink of war." There are concerns about property purchases near MI6 headquarters in Vauxhall, the US embassy at Nine Elms, the "Trident" submarine base in Faslane, the Shetland Islands submarine cable landing points and the Royal Air Force base Akrotiri in Cyprus.
Finland’s cautionary tale
Finland is widely seen by intelligence officials as the epicenter of the strategy. In July, it imposed a near-total ban on property purchases by Russians and Belarusians. The move followed the Airiston Helmi case, in which a Russian company acquired 17 properties near key sea lanes and telecommunications infrastructure.
A 2018 raid on the island of Sakiluoto uncovered multiple piers, a helipad and advanced communications equipment. The owner, Pavel Melnikov, was later convicted of fraud. Moscow has denied the espionage allegations.
Norway, Switzerland and beyond
In Norway, chalets linked to Kremlin-linked figures overlook Bardufoss air base, while the Russian Orthodox Church has acquired properties near naval and radar facilities.
Switzerland is emerging as another problem. Officials quoted by The Telegraph said Russian agents had used properties near a federal chemical defence institute linked to the Salisbury investigation to intercept Wi-Fi and monitor weapons experts. There have also been reports of Russian purchases near the Large Hadron Collider.
Notable patent
Intelligence agencies warn that China is pursuing a more limited but similar approach, focusing on long-term surveillance near fibre optic links and data centres. Across Europe, governments are now reassessing property laws.
Allowing Russian citizens to invest largely unhindered in strategic real estate is a significant threat vector that urgently needs to be addressed.