Russia has begun carrying out sabotage against Danish companies that supply weapons to Ukraine after concluding that larger-scale attempts to disrupt their operations had failed to curb Western military support for Kiev, a Danish intelligence official was quoted as saying by Reuters.
The shift represents a significant escalation of Moscow's hybrid campaign, Josefin Christensen, a senior analyst at the Danish Security and Intelligence Service, said at a national security conference in Copenhagen.
„What we saw in the spring was a lot of planning but little action. "In the early summer, they started doing much more than planned," Christensen said.
She said Russia had concluded that its previous large-scale actions "had not been able to deter Western NATO countries from supporting Ukraine."
Moscow retains political control over the operations, but the boldness in their implementation is growing, she said. "Now they are trying to hit targets that have a direct impact on the front line. That means weapons production."
Christensen referred to a Russian Defense Ministry list of alleged European manufacturers of drones and components for them, which Moscow announced in April as a list of potential military targets. She did not give further details.
According to the Danish service, Russia is increasingly using unprepared intermediaries, including homeless and drug addicts, who are recruited for mementos via “Telegram“ and other social platforms. Typically, recruitment starts with simple tasks such as reconnaissance or filming objects, and then moves on to real sabotage operations.
“It could be anyone who is just looking for a quick buck,“ said Christensen. “If the first person doesn't succeed, they'll send another until they succeed.“
Moscow has repeatedly denied being behind sabotage or hybrid operations.
Last month, Danish military intelligence said Russia was likely to step up hybrid attacks against the West in the coming months after Germany accused Moscow of attempting a drone attack on Leipzig/Halle airport in August.
In September 2025, before Denmark was to host an EU summit, drones disrupted air traffic at six Danish airports, including Copenhagen Airport, the busiest in Northern Europe. At the time, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen described the incident as a hybrid attack on the country.
The Russian embassy in Copenhagen accused Denmark of making accusations without credible evidence. The embassy did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.