Denmark’s domestic intelligence service says Russia has moved from planning disruptive operations to conducting sabotage against Danish companies that supply military equipment to Ukraine, marking what the agency describes as an escalation in Moscow’s hybrid campaign against the West.
Josefine Christensen, an official with the Danish Security and Intelligence Service, known as PET, made the allegation at a homeland-security conference in Copenhagen on Wednesday. She said the agency observed extensive planning during the spring but substantially more operational activity from early summer.
According to the assessment, Russia concluded that broad disruption had not stopped NATO countries from supporting Ukraine and consequently shifted towards targets with a more direct effect on the battlefield, including weapons production. PET did not publicly identify the affected companies or provide details about individual sabotage incidents. The allegation therefore cannot be independently verified from the information released. Reuters
Russia has repeatedly denied conducting sabotage and other hybrid operations in Europe. Its embassy in Copenhagen rejected the latest Danish claims as unfounded.
PET says Russian operations increasingly employ inexperienced proxies recruited through Telegram and other social-media platforms. Prospective recruits may initially be offered money for reconnaissance or photography before being asked to undertake more serious activity. Danish intelligence characterises this approach as a way for organisers to retain distance from operations while repeatedly recruiting replacements when individual attempts fail.
Christensen also referred to an April list from Russia’s Defence Ministry that described some European drone and component manufacturers as potential military targets. The existence of that list provides context for Denmark’s concern but does not, by itself, prove responsibility for any particular operation.
The latest assessment follows warnings from Danish intelligence that Russia is increasingly willing to use physical sabotage and other hybrid measures against Denmark, including possible operations affecting critical infrastructure. Danish Security and Intelligence Service
For Denmark and other NATO countries, the allegation raises questions about the security of factories, contractors and transport networks supporting Ukraine. Any sustained campaign against defence manufacturers could increase protection costs, disrupt production and complicate European efforts to expand weapons output.
The available information should nevertheless be treated with care. Denmark has issued an official intelligence attribution, not a publicly documented criminal finding, and Moscow disputes it. Publication should retain that distinction unless Danish authorities release evidence connecting Russia to named companies or specific attacks.
