Russian President Vladimir Putin has personally ordered the intensification of sabotage operations against NATO countries, according to a US intelligence assessment reported by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).
Three European officials familiar with the US intelligence findings told the newspaper that the order is linked to a broader campaign of operations against European infrastructure, at a time when Russia is facing difficulties in the war in Ukraine.
One of the most serious episodes of this campaign was the August 4 attack on Leipzig/Halle airport in Germany, where three drones equipped with explosives were used against aerial targets.
According to the WSJ, one of the drones hit an Antonov transport plane, which was being used to deliver military aid to Ukraine, but the explosives did not detonate. A second drone crashed into another plane, while a third exploded near the airport fence.
The sabotage network ran through Serbia
German investigators suspect that the operation was coordinated by Oleg Lyovushkin, a former Russian soldier recruited by the GRU military intelligence.
According to the report, Lyovushkin led several Belarusian agents who transported explosives across the border, assembled drones, and placed them in attack positions.
Serbia allegedly served as a transit point for transporting modified drones and explosive devices to Germany.
Serbian authorities arrested seven suspects, including an individual with Russian and Serbian citizenship.
According to the Serbian prosecution, the group had purchased and stored explosives and drones before sending them to European Union countries.
Lyovushkin and at least one suspected Belarusian accomplice left Germany two days before the attack, traveling first to Serbia and then to Russia.
Western officials link the campaign to the GRU special operations unit, led by General Andrey Averyanov.
Warning to Berlin and NATO Article 5
After the failed attack, a Kremlin-linked representative, who maintained unofficial contacts with the German government, allegedly warned Berlin that Leipzig would not be the final target.
According to the WSJ, advisers to Chancellor Friedrich Merz have stated that Germany would have considered activating NATO’s Article 5, which provides for collective defense, if the attack had caused mass casualties.
Article 5 was not activated.
Western intelligence links the alleged intensification of sabotage to the lack of significant Russian advances in Ukraine, the increase in Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory, and Moscow’s dissatisfaction with negotiations with Washington.
Russia has consistently denied involvement in sabotage operations in Europe.