WSJ: Putin Personally Ordered An Escalation Of Sabotage Operations In Europe

New hybrid attacks similar to the one in Leipzig are likely.

Vladimir Putin personally authorized an intensification of sabotage and subversion campaigns within NATO countries. In this situation, new hybrid attacks similar to the one that took place on August 5 in Leipzig, Germany, are likely, writes The Wall Street Journal reports, citing three European officials familiar with the findings of investigation into the events in Leipzig.

WSJ sources attribute the Kremlin’s logic to the Russian Armed Forces’ lack of success on the front lines in Ukraine, the continuation of Ukrainian strikes against Russian rear infrastructure, and Kyiv’s unwillingness to make peace on Moscow’s terms. In this context, Russian intelligence agencies and political leadership view the August 5 incident in Leipzig as a test run. According to one of the WSJ’s sources, following the events in eastern Germany, his Moscow contact warned him through an informal channel that Leipzig would not be the last attack. The goal of such actions is said to be chaos, which could strengthen the political influence within Europe of forces opposed to military aid to Ukraine.

On the night of August 5, workers at the Leipzig/Halle cargo airport discovered a drone near a Ukrainian An-124 cargo plane. The device was loaded with explosives and was soon defused by bomb disposal experts. At the same time, one of the cargo planes in Leipzig collided in mid-air with another UAV and sustained minor damage. German authorities classified the incident as a failed hybrid attack and subsequently blamed Moscow for it. The Russian side categorically denies any involvement in the events.

At the same time, the investigation into the events in Leipzig allowed Western intelligence agencies to uncover a Moscow-linked spy ring that was smuggling explosives, drones, and weapons. A network of safe houses and hiding places was discovered in various European cities. They were typically located near airports, defense industry facilities, and other potential targets.

Investigators have identified a former Russian military officer Oleg Levushkin, who was recruited by the GRU, as the coordinator of the attack. It is alleged that he led a network that used Serbia as a logistics hub to smuggle drones and explosives into Germany. Serbian prosecutors have already reported the arrest of seven people, including a person with dual Russian-Serbian citizenship, on suspicion of involvement in Levushkin’s group.

Following the incident in Leipzig, similar incidents were reported in several European countries at once. Authorities in Bulgaria, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Slovakia, and Estonia confirmed incidents of arson at defense facilities, sabotage at Starlink stations, and drone attacks on commercial vessels. Sources interviewed by the WSJ view this as evidence that Russia has not abandoned hybrid attacks, that their scale may increase, and that these actions are approved at the highest levels of the Kremlin.

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