Foreign spies target Europe via social media for sabotage plots

Teemu Liikkanen, the new head of the Finnish counterintelligence agency, stated that foreign intelligence services are recruiting potential saboteurs in Europe through social media. These actions aim to create an atmosphere of fear or disrupt certain activities. Saboteurs are primarily motivated by financial incentives.

Liikkanen noted that apart from Russia, China is the main country involved in espionage, but several other countries also engage in such activities.

"Signs of this kind of activity are already visible in Europe," said Liikkanen, who has been leading the counterintelligence department of the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service, Supo, since September.

In an interview published on Tuesday with the public broadcaster Yle, he detailed that it involves various acts of vandalism or arson, aiming to create an atmosphere of fear or paralyze some activities.

The Finnish broadcaster's report emphasized that Supo's suspicions are primarily directed at Russia.

According to Liikkanen, the perpetrators of these attacks may not even know where the orders originate since they are recruited through intermediaries. This complicates investigations into confirming the criminal activities of a foreign state. Financial benefits mainly draw saboteurs, he stressed.

During the summer, there were a series of unexplained break-ins at water infrastructure facilities across Finland, including water towers and distribution points. The media and some experts and politicians suggested possible sabotage or hybrid activities from the eastern neighbor.

"In these cases, there was no direct connection to Russia," admitted Liikkanen, who, before his current position at Supo, had served as a police investigator for many years.