British report: Kremlin's shadow war - financing terror in the West
11:41 AM EDT, May 12, 2024
The British warn that agents of the Russian military intelligence, GRU, are recruiting terrorists to carry out attacks within NATO countries. The United Kingdom, along with other Western nations, is expected to experience the disruptive activities of far-right extremists financed by Moscow.
"The Sunday Telegraph" reported the latest findings of British intelligence on Sunday. The report was based on intelligence sources and information the National Security News portal provided.
It's reported that not only GRU agents but also former members of the Wagner Group, a mercenary organization, are involved in recruiting individuals for terrorist attacks. Intelligence from Britain indicates that, over the past six months, individuals recruited through such efforts have attempted acts of political violence in Western European countries and the USA.
An instance of such an individual intended to sow chaos is Colonel Maksim Yelovik, a Russian military attaché in Great Britain, who was expelled by London recently due to suspicions of espionage.
Similar cases, where right-wing terrorists hired by the Kremlin have orchestrated provocations or acquired strategic information, were reported in other Alliance countries as well. Attacks have occurred in the USA and Germany.
Western intelligence agencies are now actively alerting governments about the genuine threat of pro-Russian, pro-Putin envoys intensifying their activities.
"The Sunday Telegraph" cited Thomas Haldenwang, the head of the German counterintelligence agency BfV. In April, at a security conference, he warned of plans by Russian saboteurs that present a "high potential for damage." "We assess the risk of state-controlled acts of sabotage to be significantly increased," he stated.
After the chemical attack in Salisbury in 2018, which targeted former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal, the United Kingdom expelled over 20 Russian spies. Consequently, it is anticipated that the Kremlin will adopt a strategy similar to Iran's, using local criminal groups to execute terror acts or political violence within a country.
