RUSSIAN INTELLIGENCE SERVICES ACCUSED OF BUYING SITES NEAR EU BASES

Russian spies have allegedly transformed properties across Western Europe into a covert network of “Trojan horse” assets that could be activated for sabotage operations, The Telegraph reported, citing serving and former intelligence officers from three European agencies.

Hybrid Warfare and Property Acquisitions

According to intelligence officials quoted by The Telegraph, clandestine Russian units have exploited weak legal frameworks to purchase sensitive real estate near military bases, ports, telecommunications hubs and energy infrastructure in at least a dozen European nations.

The properties reportedly include summer houses, holiday cabins, warehouses, abandoned schools, city apartments and even entire islands. Officials fear some locations may already store explosives, drones, weapons or host undercover operatives ready to act during a geopolitical crisis.

The strategy is seen as part of the Kremlin’s broader “hybrid war” against the West following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

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Testing NATO in the ‘Grey Zone’

Rather than launching a conventional military assault, intelligence officials believe Moscow may seek to test NATO’s resolve through deniable sabotage operations designed to paralyse transport, communications and energy networks.

Officials warned that such “grey zone” attacks could complicate the invocation of NATO’s Article 5 collective defence clause, which requires consensus among allies.

“A sabotage campaign is less likely to produce consensus around Article 5 than a conventional Russian military operation,” one intelligence officer told The Telegraph, citing the difficulty of clear attribution.

Britain and Nordic States Seen as Vulnerable

The United Kingdom is considered particularly exposed. Security experts have raised concerns about properties overlooking sensitive sites such as the Trident submarine base at Faslane in Scotland and areas near subsea cable landing points in Shetland. Suspicious acquisitions near the MI6 headquarters in Vauxhall and the U.S. embassy in Nine Elms have reportedly been examined.

In Norway, cabins linked to Kremlin-connected figures sit near Arctic military facilities, including Bardufoss air base. The Russian Orthodox Church has also acquired property near naval bases and radar installations in Norway and Sweden, prompting intelligence concerns.

In Sweden’s Västerås, a church built near a strategically important airport was later assessed by security services as a potential espionage platform.

Russian cabins near Norwegian military base – The Telegraph

Finland’s Airiston Helmi Case

Finland is regarded as the epicentre of this suspected strategy. Authorities there investigated Airiston Helmi, a company that acquired 17 properties around the Archipelago Sea, many close to key maritime routes and telecommunications infrastructure near Turku.

The most notable acquisition was the island of Sakkiluoto. In September 2018, Finnish commandos raided the property, discovering multiple piers, a helipad, surveillance systems, camouflage netting and advanced communications equipment.

The company’s Russian owner, Pavel Melnikov, was later convicted of fraud and received a suspended sentence. Moscow denied espionage allegations.

Finland has since imposed a near-blanket ban on Russians and Belarusians purchasing real estate, prompting similar measures in Baltic states.

The Telegraph

Expanding Pattern Across Europe

European intelligence agencies have flagged Russian-linked acquisitions near naval bases and strategic waterways in Sicily, Crete and mainland Greece, as well as close to sensitive locations in London, Paris and Geneva.

Switzerland has emerged as another area of concern. Officials suspect Russian operatives used properties near a federal chemical protection institute investigating the Salisbury poisonings to intercept communications.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently warned that Vladimir Putin has already begun what he described as a broader conflict with the West.

Intelligence Chiefs Sound Alarm

In the UK, Blaise Metreweli, the new head of MI6, warned in her first speech that Britain is now operating “in a space between peace and war,” describing Russia’s tactics as falling just below the threshold of open conflict.

Security analysts argue that while Russia appears focused on immediate operational capabilities, China may be pursuing a more long-term strategy of positioning near fibre-optic routes and data hubs to harvest intelligence.

Western officials say the evolving property acquisition pattern represents a significant national security threat, with hundreds or potentially thousands of otherwise ordinary buildings possibly serving as surveillance posts, safe houses or weapons depots.

As one intelligence official told The Telegraph, critical national infrastructure across Europe remains “acutely vulnerable to malicious state activity,” underscoring growing concerns that hybrid warfare may intensify before any overt military confrontation.