Russia planned to bomb US-bound cargo planes, poison water supplies as part of covert war against Europe: report
A bomb destroyed a Polish railway leading to Ukraine last month, with officials describing it as a direct act of sabotage. PRZEMYSLAW PIATKOWSKI/EPA/Shutterstock
Russia has reportedly recruited “gig worker” saboteurs to carry out a series of attacks across Europe, including attempts to bomb US-bound cargo planes, derail trains, and contaminate water supplies, according to a new report.
Experts told the Financial Times that an analysis of recent hybrid attacks and sabotage incidents across Europe points to a network of freelancers hired by Russian operatives to probe the continent’s vulnerabilities in preparation for potential warfare.
Keir Giles, a Russia expert at the Chatham House think tank, warned that the publicly known incidents are likely only the tip of the iceberg. “It’s nonsensical to call this anything other than what it is — warfare against Europe,” he said, urging officials not to dismiss these attacks as the work of isolated individuals.
One example came in July 2024, when DHL parcels exploded at logistics hubs in the UK, Poland, and Germany. Security officials said that had the bombs detonated mid-air, they could have brought down cargo planes bound for the United States. The plot, linked to Russian-directed saboteurs, appeared designed to test the aviation system and replicate the chaos of the post-9/11 era.
That same month, multiple break-ins were reported at Finnish water towers and treatment plants, raising concerns that the intruders were scouting potential targets to contaminate the water supply.
By the end of 2024, three underwater fiber-optic cables connecting Sweden to Lithuania, Finland to Germany, and Finland to Estonia were slashed, prompting an international investigation that pointed to Moscow.
This year also saw dozens of Russian drones infiltrate NATO airspace, reportedly to test the alliance’s response time in the event of an attack. In November, a bomb exploded on a Polish railway leading to Ukraine, an act Prime Minister Donald Tusk called “an unprecedented act of sabotage.”
According to the report, these operations are part of a broader Russian espionage strategy in Europe, which relies on recruiting online freelancers. The saboteurs, often young men motivated primarily by money, have little real connection to Russia, allowing Moscow to employ them as a disposable, deniable force.
Officials have dubbed this network a “gig economy” of espionage. While their lack of formal training sometimes leads to botched operations—as with Dylan Earl, a 21-year-old convicted for an arson attack on a Ukrainian business in London—the system offers Russia unprecedented scale and flexibility for attacks.
The deniability factor makes it increasingly difficult for European prosecutors to tie the saboteurs directly to Moscow. In October, a Finnish court dismissed a case against the crew of a Russian-linked tanker accused of cutting the undersea cable between Finland and Estonia. The ship’s captain claimed the damage was accidental, caused by the anchor dragging along the seafloor.
Konstantin von Notz, a German parliamentarian overseeing intelligence agencies, warned that Europe cannot remain passive as Russia continues to exploit legal grey areas. “When it meows like a cat and looks like a cat, then it probably is a cat,” he said.
Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, chair of NATO’s military committee, echoed the call for a more proactive approach, suggesting the alliance may need to consider pre-emptive measures against Russia’s covert attacks.
Meanwhile, President Trump has expressed concern over European security and emphasized the importance of transatlantic cooperation in countering these threats, highlighting the potential implications for US-bound cargo and international trade.
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