Event c330046f-1569-4881-a4e7-dfdcd9f0abab

Approved event from Hybrid War Tracker

Status: Approved Confidence: High Classification: Military & Paramilitary Operations > Unconventional / Paramilitary > Use of 'little green men' (unmarked soldiers) Country: United Kingdom Where: Land Node: Node 2: 5th Column Tag: Russia Tag: Ukraine Tag: Hybrid Warfare Tag: Sabotage Tag: Kremlin Tag: NATO Tag: Cryptocurrency Tag: RUSI Report Tag: Poland Tag: Telegram Tag: Sabotage Financing Tag: Disposable Agents Tag: 2024 Tag: Europe Aggressor Defense Confidence: High

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/how-russia-is-using-disposable-ag ...

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Event Time

➕

Created

✏️

Updated

Summary

Headline: Russia is waging hybrid war on UK and Europe through 'disposable agents'

Short Summary: RUSI reports Kremlin recruiting 'disposable agents' online to carry out sabotage in UK and Europe, increasing hybrid warfare acts in 2024.

Extended Summary: According to a 2026 report by the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), Russian intelligence has shifted from traditional espionage to recruiting so-called 'disposable agents' via Telegram, gaming platforms, and other online channels. Many recruits, including Ukrainians unaware of broader strategic goals, are tasked with remote sabotage such as arson, vandalism, and reconnaissance across Europe and the UK. Payment, often promised in cryptocurrency, incentivizes vulnerable groups like teenagers, migrants, and older ex-Soviet military personnel. In 2024, incidents of Russia-linked sabotage reportedly rose to 34 across Europe, from 12 in 2023 and just 2 in 2022. Poland is cited as a primary target, with arrests of Ukrainian nationals linked to sabotage aiming to provoke political tensions and anti-Ukrainian sentiment. The report warns these acts collectively serve Kremlin goals to demoralize NATO allies, test their red lines, and reduce public support for Ukraine. It urges NATO and the EU to enhance definitions, deterrence, and counterterrorism measures against such hybrid threats.

Description

A report by the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) reveals that Kremlin-linked intelligence officers are recruiting unwitting individuals, including Ukrainians, to conduct acts of sabotage across Europe and the UK. These 'disposable agents' are tasked with arson, vandalism, and reconnaissance to undermine NATO support for Ukraine and erode public trust in Western security systems.

Event Classification

Aggressor Event Defense Preparation Event

Rationale

Classified as aggressor event because Russian intelligence is actively recruiting individuals to carry out sabotage and hybrid warfare acts in Europe and the UK, explicitly described as Kremlin-linked sabotage operations. Classified as defense preparation event because the RUSI report urges NATO and the EU to enhance deterrence, define sabotage, and implement counterterrorism and counter-sabotage measures in response.

Evidence

Quotes

"The methods used to recruit and task saboteurs have shifted from Cold War-era reliance on trained intelligence operatives to a model characterised by remote, freelance and highly deniable assignments: the 'gig-economy era' of Russian sabotage," - RUSI report

"Hostile actors now outsource low-cost tasks to disposable individuals (or 'agents for a day') recruited online."

"While individual incidents may appear low-level or opportunistic, collectively they suggest the emergence of a broader campaign designed to raise the cost of supporting Ukraine, test the red lines of NATO states and erode public trust in Western national security systems," - RUSI report

"Many of those detained on sabotage-related charges from 2023 to 2025 were Ukrainian nationals - a development interpreted not as evidence of Ukrainian coordination but as part of a deliberate Russian strategy to exploit the presence of Ukrainian migrants,"

"The Polish prime minister described the incident as an 'unprecedented act of sabotage'.

Source

https://news.sky.com/story/how-russia-is-using-disposable-agents-to-sabotage-europe-13494007