Russia’s intelligence service, the FSB, is suspected of orchestrating a series of sabotage attacks on privately owned cars across Europe, with Germany being the latest target.
Car owners have been left powerless in the face of these actions, which are believed to be part of a broader strategy to create instability and discord.
According to Berliner Morgenpost, these acts of sabotage — ranging from vandalized vehicles to cyberattacks — are part of Russia’s ongoing hybrid warfare campaign against European nations.
Foam-Filled Exhaust Pipes and a Propaganda Message
One of the most recent incidents in Germany saw 43 cars vandalized, their exhaust pipes filled with construction foam.
Stickers reading “Be Green” and featuring an image of German Environment Minister Robert Habeck were placed on the vehicles, initially leading investigators to suspect radical climate activists.
But authorities soon uncovered a more complex operation.
In December, three young men — a Serb, a Bosnian, and a German — were arrested near Berlin in a van carrying construction foam. During interrogations, they revealed they had been directed by a Serb with Russian roots, who allegedly provided them with detailed instructions on how to carry out the sabotage.
Green Party interior spokesman Konstantin von Notz warned that for months, Germany had been experiencing “targeted attempts to use espionage and sabotage to create insecurity, fuel existing conflicts, and divide us as a society.”
A Strategy to Sow Discord
The suspected Russian operation appears to have a dual objective: discrediting the environmental movement and the German government, with a particular focus on Minister Habeck, and creating division within German society, potentially fostering sympathy for Russia among disillusioned citizens.
Authorities fear these acts are not isolated but rather part of a broader campaign spreading across multiple European countries.
The objective is to destabilize societies, weaken trust in institutions, and exploit existing tensions.
This case is just one example of Russia’s use of hybrid warfare, a strategy that combines cyberattacks, sabotage, misinformation, and other covert tactics to undermine Western nations.
European police and intelligence agencies are now tasked with tracking down those responsible and preventing further acts of destabilization.
