Russia recruits Danes for sabotage planning, Denmark says

Russia is recruiting Danish citizens ​to help plan sabotage against ‌Danish defence firms ​with ties to Ukraine, the Nordic country's national security and intelligence service, PET, said on Thursday.

Hybrid warfare and sabotage ‌on European soil gained renewed attention this week after Germany blamed Russia for an attempted drone attack at the Leipzig/Halle Airport, prompting European Union members to call for new sanctions against Russia. "Russia is ‌both planning and carrying out acts of sabotage against defense companies and the defense ‌industry in Europe," PET's head of counter-espionage, Emil Gresholm, said in a statement.

"We see that Danish companies are also targets of concrete Russian sabotage planning, and that Russian intelligence services are actively preparing acts of sabotage directed ⁠at the defense ​industry in Denmark," ⁠he said. Moscow has denied any involvement in hybrid warfare.

Russia's ambassador to Denmark, Vladimir Barbin, said in an emailed ⁠statement on Thursday that Gresholm had failed to provide any concrete evidence to support the allegations. "Gresholm's statements ​should also be seen as an acknowledgement that Copenhagen's reckless involvement in the conflict in ⁠Ukraine and the transformation of Danish territory into a production and logistics rear base for the Ukrainian armed forces ⁠poses ​security risks to Denmark and its citizens," Barbin said.

Gresholm said PET has uncovered concrete examples of Russia attempting to recruit Danes on social media and gaming platforms for tasks ⁠such as taking photos of companies or infrastructure, which could be used in the planning of ⁠acts of sabotage. "It ⁠is extremely serious if ordinary Danes help Russian intelligence services -- either deliberately or unwittingly," he said.

Gresholm first made his comments in an interview ‌with the Berlingske ‌newspaper.