Russian intelligence agencies have grown more aggressive in their efforts to steal Western technology and defence secrets, as sanctions squeeze the country's wartime economy, three senior European intelligence officials have told the Associated Press.
Moscow's agents are establishing shell companies, recruiting intermediaries and deploying cyber spies and hackers, targeting advanced machine tools, factory equipment and dual-use technology. In Sweden, Russia is focusing on the defence industry and high-end research on weaponry such as the Gripen fighter jet, as well as camera and laser technology for civilian purposes that could be integrated into Russian weapons.
Finland's Security and Intelligence Service director Juha Martelius said Moscow is trying to steal technology in space, quantum, arctic and marine sectors to keep pace with the West. The UK’s signals intelligence chief Anne Keast-Butler accused Russia of “relentlessly targeting” the UK and European allies by stealing technology and plotting sabotage.
Russia is also deploying cyberattacks against European firms and critical infrastructure. Sweden's security service deputy head Christoffer Wedelin pointed to an attack on a Swedish power plant last year that Russia-linked actors tried to “destroy” but failed. He said Russia is taking greater risks and cares less about attribution.
The increasingly aggressive tactics may reflect internal economic concerns. Estonia’s Foreign Intelligence Service head Kaupo Rosin said about a third of Russia's GDP goes to the war effort, and the budget deficit reached nearly 3.4 trillion roubles ($47.9bn) by late February. While oil price rises from the Iran war have provided a boost, Rosin noted that it “doesn’t save them” and a financial crisis could loom if Western pressure persists.
