Undermining support for Ukraine main purpose of Russian sabotage across EU - Finland’s security agency
That’s according to Yle, Ukrinform reports.
The comment by SUPO Deputy Chief Teemy Turunen came in the wake of a report claiming European intelligence services warned of Russia’s sabotage plot targeting countries across Europe.
"We warned a couple of months ago when we published our annual report that we should expect more aggressive and hostile attempts at influence from Russia. It's the same thing," Turunen said.
“Russia's special interest is related to the support of Ukraine. It is not Finland that interests Russia, but the unity of the West in supporting Ukraine," Turunen says.
“It is not Finland that interests Russia, but the unity of the West in supporting Ukraine," Turunen says.
As potential targets for attacks, Russia is focused on the organization and supply routes for the Ukraine defense aid, the official stressed.
Earlier this year, SUPO reported following its annual report for 2023 that Russia remains the main threat to Finland's national security.
"Finland and other Western nations are classified (by Russia – ed.) as unfriendly or hostile states, and in this case, Russia has all sorts of sabotage and intimidation in its arsenal," Turunen said.
Russia could, for example, exploit petty criminals or hooligans to inflict damage and pursue intimidation, Turunen explains. According to the official, Finland had to adapt to the new era.
"There is no going back to the way things were, so in that sense we really have to adapt to the new realities. We need to be prepared, but that doesn't mean we should be afraid,” the deputy chief of SUPO said.
As Ukrinform reported earlier, referring to The Financial Times, European intelligence agencies have warned their governments that Russia is actively preparing sabotage operations across the continent, including bombings, arson, and attacks on infrastructure, directly and through front actors, with little concern that it could lead to civilian casualties.
