Russia is changing its tactics in EU: from ’cheap’ agents to professional sabotage networks and involvement of organised crime
The Russian Federation is radically changing its approach to waging hybrid warfare in Europe, shifting from recruiting random individuals for low pay to creating deeply layered professional sabotage networks.
This is stated in a report by Poland's Internal Security Agency, according to The Independent, as reported by Censor.NET.
The extent of espionage activities
According to the report, the intensity of Russian activity has reached an all-time high. In 2024 and 2025, 69 espionage investigations were launched in Poland—equaling the total number of such cases for the entire period from 1991 to 2023. Over the past two years, law enforcement agencies have arrested 62 individuals.
Russian intelligence agencies are gradually moving away from using "cheap, disposable" agents. Instead, Moscow is focusing on:
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Involvement of organized crime: the creation of sophisticated sabotage cells based on closed criminal structures.
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Recruitment of specialists: priority is given to individuals with experience in law enforcement agencies—former military personnel, police officers, and mercenaries from the Wagner Group.
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Special training: Training of agents to carry out terrorist activities and sabotage has been stepped up within the Russian Federation.
The Kremlin’s long-term goal remains the collapse of Euro-Atlantic structures, the isolation of Western countries, and their internal destabilization. Although Poland remains the primary target of these attacks, the report notes that espionage activities are also coordinated by the intelligence services of Belarus and China.
Polish intelligence officials emphasize that these actions are part of an "undeclared war," in which intelligence methods increasingly resemble special operations.
