Key facts
- Russia may escalate operations in NATO states supporting Ukraine within months, according to the Czech security service.
- Potential Russian operations include sabotage, drone/missile attacks on weapons depots, or limited military action.
- These threats are not currently immediate due to Russia's focus on Ukraine.
- Russia's hybrid activities aim to weaken NATO unity.
- President Putin denies plans to attack European countries or involvement in hybrid warfare.
Russia could resort to riskier and more significant operations in NATO member states supporting Ukraine within months, the head of the Czech security service said on Monday, as Moscow appears to be adopting a tactic of "escalation for de-escalation".
Michal Koudelka, director general of the Czech Security Information Service, told a parliamentary security conference that potential actions could involve sabotage attacks on facilities connected to aid for Ukraine, drone or missile attacks on weapons depots, or, in an extreme case, limited military action against neighboring NATO member states.
Koudelka noted that this threat is not currently immediate, as Russia has all its forces concentrated in Ukraine. His agency has no specific information on a direct threat to the Czech Republic but is closely monitoring operations targeting the country and its allies. He stated that Russia's hybrid activities are aimed at weakening unity within the NATO military alliance.