Russia has intensified sabotage to pressure the US and Ukraine's allies - CSIS.

Russia is increasingly ramping up its sabotage campaign against Europe and the US in order to limit support for Ukraine. This is evidenced by a report prepared by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and published in The New York Times.

According to the report, the number of Russian attacks in Europe increased fourfold from 2022 to 2023, and then by another threefold from 2023 to 2024.

'This is an important tool that the Russians are using alongside their war in Ukraine... Russia no longer needs to send troops to the Baltic states and Finland. However, their response to the supply of weapons is that they are targeting companies, plotting to assassinate officials, and creating threats to critical infrastructure,' said the study's author and former advisor to US military Seth Jones.

Although in recent weeks Russia has reduced its sabotage activities due to Washington's efforts to end the conflict in Ukraine, experts believe that the campaign against European targets may be resumed as soon as new plans for supporting Ukraine with weapons or peacekeepers emerge.

The CSIS report indicates that 28% of Russia's attacks were aimed at transportation, 20% at industrial facilities, and another 20% at underwater cables, pipelines, and other infrastructure. In total, 50 separate acts of sabotage have been recorded since 2022.

Russia has tried to control its campaign and avoid excessive escalation. According to Jones, Moscow has sought to limit the level of violence to prevent an unforeseen increase in support for Ukraine.

These actions are part of the Russian tradition of clandestine sabotage known as 'active measures,' which the KGB refined during the Cold War.

No attacks were recorded in friendly European countries such as Serbia and Hungary. However, Poland, through which Western aid to Ukraine passes, became a target.