# Inside Russia's Escalating Sabotage Campaign in Europe > European officials and intelligence experts warn that Russian-backed covert attacks on military targets are reaching dangerous new levels. - Title: Inside Russia's Escalating Sabotage Campaign in Europe - Summary: European officials and intelligence experts warn that Russian-backed covert attacks on military targets are reaching dangerous new levels. Russia's shift… - Keywords: europe, russia, nato, sabotage, security, news, world, Inside, Russia's, Escalating, Campaign, BBC News - Source: BBC News — https://bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y4g6meekro - Published: 2026-09-04T10:00:18.684+00:00 - Read time: 2 min - Topics: europe, russia, nato, sabotage, security, news, world ## Russia accelerates sabotage across Europe While military strikes inside Ukraine intensified, Russia simultaneously escalated a covert campaign targeting defense facilities across European nations. > There are many, many signals that Russia is changing its strategy and intensifying its activities ## Explosive drones target German logistics Explosive-laden drones discovered at Leipzig airport targeted a critical supply hub used to transport Western military aid to Ukraine. ## Fires strike European defense facilities A wave of suspicious summer fires targeted defense firms in Bulgaria, Italy, Estonia, Slovakia, and Poland, hitting key drone and munitions manufacturers. ## Tactics shift toward high-value targets Earlier Russian-linked sabotage hit civilian locations like retail stores, but recent attacks focus almost exclusively on military and defense sites. > The intensity of military sites being attacked we've seen over the past couple of weeks is unusual ## Intimidation meant to curb military aid Experts view the deliberate spike in sabotage as coercive signaling, aimed at pressuring European governments to stop sending arms to Kyiv. ## Testing NATO defenses for vulnerabilities Beyond immediate destruction, Moscow uses covert probes to map security weaknesses and test how far it can push Western nations without triggering a response. > They find out what works, and what's vulnerable. ## Reckless parcel plots risk mass casualties A previous wave of incendiary packages shipped via air cargo demonstrated Moscow's willingness to risk catastrophic mid-flight explosions. > That was a marked high in terms of their willingness to inflict mass casualties ## Gig-economy saboteurs carry out attacks The vast majority of attacks rely on cheap, disposable proxies recruited online in former Soviet states and directed remotely by handlers in Russia. ## Professionals deployed for precision strikes The use of trained Russian operatives in high-profile incidents like Leipzig suggests the Kremlin deploys professionals when high accuracy is demanded. ## Soviet Cold War playbook revived Current operations mirror Soviet grey-zone tactics, using deniable peacetime disruptions intended to escalate rapidly during war. > I think we are still in the grey zone between the two, but the kind of attacks we've seen in the past weeks shrink that zone ## Rising danger of unintended escalation As sabotage becomes more aggressive, a fatal accident or major disaster could force NATO to retaliate, sparking direct conflict. > Then Nato, in this heightened security environment, would not be able to ignore that, and have to react. ## Key takeaway Russia's shift toward direct, coordinated sabotage against European defense facilities signals a dangerous expansion of grey-zone warfare designed to erode Western support for Ukraine.