Former Dutch intelligence officer warns Russia is preparing for war through aggressive espionage and cyber operations targeting Western critical infrastructure as of September 2023.

Intelligence & EspionageHuman Intelligence (HUMINT)Unknown

AggressorDefense

Summary

In an interview dated 25 September 2023, former Dutch intelligence official Robert Spronk outlined how Russian intelligence services have amplified their covert operations since Putin became president, mirroring Cold War intensity. He noted involvement of the SVR, FSB, and GRU in recruiting agents, cyber intrusions, and sabotage attempts embedded in critical Western infrastructure like nuclear power plants and ports. These acts are viewed as clear signs of hostile war preparations. Western nations have increasingly expelled Russian intelligence operatives and strengthened cyber defenses, yet Spronk calls for a more assertive Western intelligence response to counter Russian covert aggression. He stressed the existential nature of the conflict, urging unabated support for Ukraine and enhanced counter-propaganda to combat Kremlin influence and misinformation.

Classification

Confidence: High

The interview explicitly describes aggressive Russian intelligence and cyber operations that constitute hostile acts against Western critical infrastructure and political systems, confirming aggressor activity. It also details Western expulsions of Russian intelligence officers and increased cybersecurity defenses, indicating defensive preparations by NATO/EU countries.

Source URL

https://lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/2091286/there-are-signs-that-russia-is-preparing-for-war-with-west-interview-with-former-dutch-intelligence-officer

Open source

Provenance

Publisher: extension
Submitted: Feb 14, 2026, 12:22 UTC
Last updated: Nov 4, 2026, 08:36 UTC
Event time: Sep 25, 2023, 00:00 UTC

Published as a Defense Preparations signal with a public source and reviewer-approved assessment bands. See the methodology for how records are assessed.

Raw record

{
  "id": "3a7076ae-40da-45a0-a16b-a8a25ed41354",
  "url": "https://lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/2091286/there-are-signs-that-russia-is-preparing-for-war-with-west-interview-with-former-dutch-intelligence-officer",
  "source": "extension",
  "status": "approved",
  "category": "Intelligence & Espionage",
  "subcategory": "Human Intelligence (HUMINT)",
  "incident_type": "Unknown",
  "country": "Lithuania",
  "source_reliability": "A",
  "info_credibility": "2",
  "tags": [
    "russian intelligence operations",
    "offensive cyber operations",
    "critical infrastructure",
    "espionage",
    "covert war",
    "russia–ukraine war",
    "Russian espionage agencies",
    "Western counterintelligence",
    "disinformation"
  ],
  "nodes": [
    "Node 2: 5th Column"
  ],
  "countries": [],
  "where_text": "Cyberspace",
  "headline": null,
  "description": "Robert Spronk, a former Dutch intelligence officer, provided an interview on 25 September 2023 discussing intensified Russian intelligence activities against the West. He stated that Russian intelligence operations have escalated since Putin's rise, resembling Cold War levels, with multiple agencies (SVR, FSB, GRU) actively conducting espionage and cyber operations. These include recruitment, political influence, and embedding malware in critical infrastructure such as nuclear plants, energy facilities, and ports, indicating hostile preparations for potential all-out war. Western countries have responded by expelling Russian intelligence officers and increasing protective cybersecurity measures, but Spronk advocates for more proactive counterintelligence and covert operations. He warns of an existential threat from Russia manifested through covert war tactics and highlights the need for stronger Western support for Ukraine.",
  "summary_short": "Former Dutch intelligence officer warns Russia is preparing for war through aggressive espionage and cyber operations targeting Western critical infrastructure as of September 2023.",
  "summary_extended": "In an interview dated 25 September 2023, former Dutch intelligence official Robert Spronk outlined how Russian intelligence services have amplified their covert operations since Putin became president, mirroring Cold War intensity. He noted involvement of the SVR, FSB, and GRU in recruiting agents, cyber intrusions, and sabotage attempts embedded in critical Western infrastructure like nuclear power plants and ports. These acts are viewed as clear signs of hostile war preparations. Western nations have increasingly expelled Russian intelligence operatives and strengthened cyber defenses, yet Spronk calls for a more assertive Western intelligence response to counter Russian covert aggression. He stressed the existential nature of the conflict, urging unabated support for Ukraine and enhanced counter-propaganda to combat Kremlin influence and misinformation.",
  "actor_primary": "Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR)",
  "target_primary": null,
  "location_text": "Western European countries, Netherlands, Lithuania",
  "location_region": null,
  "location_coordinates_lat": null,
  "location_coordinates_lon": null,
  "location_precision": "Unknown",
  "is_aggressor_signal": true,
  "signal_type": "DEFENSE_PREP_SIGNAL",
  "is_hybrid_war_signal": true,
  "classification_complete": true,
  "hybrid_signal_complete": true,
  "classification_confidence": "High",
  "classification_rationale": "The interview explicitly describes aggressive Russian intelligence and cyber operations that constitute hostile acts against Western critical infrastructure and political systems, confirming aggressor activity. It also details Western expulsions of Russian intelligence officers and increased cybersecurity defenses, indicating defensive preparations by NATO/EU countries.",
  "event_time_utc": "2023-09-25T00:00:00.000Z",
  "end_time_utc": null,
  "event_time_confidence": "unknown",
  "created_at": "2026-02-14T12:22:50.207Z",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-04T08:36:03.522Z",
  "reliability_band": "strong",
  "location_precision_band": "unknown",
  "time_precision_band": "unknown",
  "severity_band": "significant",
  "attribution_confidence_band": "high",
  "attribution_basis": "single_source"
}

Public assessmentReliability: StrongSeverity: SignificantAttribution: HighSingle sourceTime: UnknownLocation: Unknown

Source reliability

Info credibility

Event time

Sep 25, 2023, 00:00 UTC

Event time confidence

unknown

Location

Western European countries, Netherlands, Lithuania

Primary actor

Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR)

Country

Lithuania

Tags

russian intelligence operations, offensive cyber operations, critical infrastructure, espionage, covert war, russia–ukraine war, Russian espionage agencies, Western counterintelligence, disinformation

Nodes

Node 2: 5th Column

Loading signal...

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