Signal
Submitted
Feb 18, 2026, 13:55 UTC
Russian mercenaries affiliated with the Wagner Group conduct sabotage operations across Europe, recruited online and trained by Russian instructors, with the GRU intelligence service overseeing the activities.
The Wagner Group, a Russian mercenary force, utilizes disposable agents for sabotage actions throughout Europe. These operatives are recruited primarily via the internet and undergo training by mercenaries in camps located in Bosnia and Serbia starting August 2024. Training includes close combat, provoking police during protests, and drone operations. The Moldovan recruit Maxim Rosca recounted his experience to investigative outlets CU SENS and the Balkan Investigative Network. Ultimately, the GRU intelligence agency controls these mercenary-led operations, projecting Russia's covert influence and destabilization tactics across European countries.
Confidence: High
The article clearly describes an aggressor scenario where Russian mercenaries linked to the Wagner Group and overseen by the GRU conduct sabotage training and operations in Europe, demonstrating hostile intent and activities.
Source URL
https://zeit.de/politik/ausland/2026-02/geheimdienst-gru-russland-soeldner-sabotage-wagner-gruppe?wt_zmc=sm.int.zonaudev.twitter.ref.zeitde.redpost.link.sf
Source reliability
A
Info credibility
2
Event time
Aug 1, 2024, 00:00 UTC
Event time confidence
unknown
Location
Bosnia and Serbia
Primary actor
Wagner Group
Country
Russian Federation
Countries
Russian Federation
Tags
Wagner Group, Russian mercenaries, GRU, Sabotage, Hybrid warfare, european union, Bosnia, Serbia, Drones, Police provocation
Nodes
Node 1: Borders