Russia is transitioning from the utilisation of individual recruits to the establishment of more sophisticated networks to conduct acts of sabotage and other attacks across Europe, as highlighted in a report by Poland’s Internal Security Agency (ABW). European officials and law enforcement agencies have previously warned that Russia is engaging in a hybrid warfare strategy against Europe, which encompasses sabotage, arson, vandalism, and various influence operations.
The Associated Press has documented over 150 incidents linked to Russia by Western authorities since the onset of the invasion of Ukraine. Many individuals involved in these activities were recruited online as disposable agents, unaware of their affiliation with Moscow.
The report indicates a shift in Russian strategy, moving away from low-cost, one-time recruits to more organised operations that leverage established crime networks. The ABW noted that Poland has conducted an equivalent number of espionage investigations in the past two years as it did over the preceding three decades, resulting in the arrest of 62 individuals.
These espionage efforts are framed as part of Russia’s “undeclared war against the Western world,“ in which Russian intelligence is adopting methods typically used by special forces, including reconnaissance and sabotage. Notably, in 2024 and 2025, 69 espionage investigations were initiated, matching the total number conducted from 1991 to 2023, according to the ABW report.
“The long-term goal of the Russian Federation remains the disintegration of Euro-Atlantic structures, the isolation of specific countries and their internal socio-political and economic destabilisation,“ the report stated.
Poland has been primarily targeted by Russia, with Belarusian secret services and China also playing a role in espionage activities. The ABW has identified mass surveillance operations in Poland as a significant challenge, as it prepares for potential acts of sabotage.
Russian intelligence services are increasingly professionalising their operations, with a shift expected in 2024-2025 towards the development of complex sabotage cells linked to organised crime. In 2023, their efforts mainly relied on one-time agents recruited online, a strategy amplified after the expulsion of Russian intelligence officers by Western European countries following the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
“Russians prefer individuals with experience in law enforcement (e.g., former soldiers, police officers, mercenaries from the Wagner Group),“ the report said.
The ABW has indicated that Russian services have escalated their training operations within Russia to effectively prepare agents for potential terrorist activities. In November 2025, Poland encountered what Prime Minister Donald Tusk characterised as an “unprecedented act of sabotage.“ This event involved explosions and technical malfunctions along a railway line utilised for deliveries to Ukraine, impacting two trains, including a passenger service. Fortunately, there were no reported casualties.
