Western intelligence has warned defense company executives in Europe that Russia could orchestrate their assassinations, prompting the companies to beef up their personal security.
This was reported by the Financial Times, citing representatives of five European intelligence services.
According to media reports, Moscow is seeking to significantly weaken support for Kyiv in the coming months. That is why the killing of civilians in Europe, which was previously considered taboo even for Russian special services, is increasingly becoming part of Russiaʼs plans.
The threat includes executives and other high-ranking officials of defense companies. Russian intelligence services are also targeting employees of small businesses, especially those that produce drones and their components.
Several defense company executives told the FT on condition of anonymity that they had increased their personal security over the past six months on the advice of state security services. Others only resort to such measures when traveling abroad.
According to intelligence, the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Federation (GRU) is mainly responsible for organizing such operations. Russian intelligence officers are also cooperating more closely with criminal groups and using agent networks in various countries.
In some cases, intelligence services have already detected and disrupted the preparation of assassination attempts.
At the same time, intelligence representatives emphasize that Russia does not necessarily have to complete the assassination attempts to achieve its goal. Their main task is to exert psychological pressure so that defense companies do not cooperate with Ukraine.
- Today, October 11, Polish police received information about a possible assassination attempt on Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Defense Minister Władysław Kosińska-Kamyś. The suspect is not yet known.
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