Russians suspected of involvement in sending bomb letters across Europe, including to Ukrainian embassy - The New York Times
Russian agents are suspected of leading a far-right group that sent explosives to Spain.
This is stated by The New York Times, reports Censor.NЕТ with reference to RBC-Ukraine.
According to the publication, US officials claim that the operation could have been a signal to Russia that Russia and its supporters could carry out new terrorist attacks in Europe, including the capitals of North Atlantic Alliance member states, if the countries continue to support Ukraine.
Spanish and foreign investigators found out who sent six bomb letters in late November and early December 2022, mostly in Madrid, including the official residence of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, the US and Ukrainian embassies, and the Ministry of Defense.
"No one was killed in the attacks, which U.S. officials classify as terrorism. An employee of the Ukrainian embassy was injured in the explosion of one of the packages. However, U.S. and European officials believe that Russian military intelligence officers ordered a group of militants, which was actually based in Russia, to carry out the campaign, which targeted the prime minister, defense minister and foreign diplomats, among other officials," the NYT writes.
According to the officials quoted by the newspaper, investigators focused on the "Russian Imperial Movement", a radical group with members and supporters across Europe and military training centers in St. Petersburg. They added that the group, which has been designated a global terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department, potentially has ties to Russian intelligence services. Important members of the group were in Spain, and police there have traced their ties to far-right Spanish organizations.
U.S. officials note that the Russian officers who led the campaign intended to catch European governments off guard and may have been testing proxy groups in case the Kremlin decided to escalate the conflict.
"This looks like a warning shot. This is Russia sending a signal that it is willing to use terrorists to attack the rear areas of the West," said Nathan Sales, former U.S. State Department counterterrorism coordinator.
