Danish authorities have uncovered plans and preparations for Russian sabotage in Denmark, the newspaper Berlingske reported on Wednesday.
Companies in the defense industry linked to military aid for Ukraine are among the main targets, Emil Græsholm, head of counter-intelligence at the Danish Security and Intelligence Service (PET), told the newspaper.
“The main objective is to stop specific deliveries for Ukraine's defense,” Græsholm was quoted as saying. “At the same time, the aim is to frighten us so that we no longer support the Ukrainians and do not expand our own defense capabilities.”
The intelligence service usually keeps a low profile, but Græsholm said the threat was sufficiently concrete to warrant a public warning.
“The selection of targets and the preparations are so specific that we believe it is necessary to go public with the message that this is a threat that must be taken seriously,” he told Berlingske.
Græsholm cited arson as one possible aim of the Russian plans and urged companies in the defense industry to tighten security measures.
Russia is also trying to recruit “ordinary Danes” for its plans, often without them knowing they are working for Moscow, according to Græsholm.
“It could involve taking photos or videos of companies or facilities that can then be used for sabotage plans,” he said. He urged people in Denmark to be suspicious if they were approached with such requests.
PET expects the threat to continue to grow “in scale and complexity,” the report said.
“It is directed against Ukrainian defense manufacturers in Denmark,” Græsholm said. “But we can see that the Russians are generally interested in the defense industry in Denmark.”
