WORLD
A recent report by the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism and GLOBSEC reveals how Moscow uses gangs and ex-convicts to wage hybrid war across Europe.
Fire destroys one of biggest shopping centres in Warsaw. Photo: Reuters
Source: International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT) and GLOBSEC "Russia's Crime Terror Nexus" report
In a notable case, US and German intelligence foiled a Russian plot to assassinate Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger, whose company supplies weapons to Ukraine.
The number of disrupted plots could be significantly higher due to intelligence operational security, the report said.
Armin Papperger, chief executive of Germany's largest weapons manufacturer, Rheinmetall. Photo: Sky News
Source: International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT) and GLOBSEC
Who is behind the attacks? Most recruits were men, many under 25, lured through criminal or social ties—some paid as little as $10 for attacks across Europe.
Some recruits came from far-right or neo-Nazi groups, but most were driven by money, and many knew they were working for Russia.
“EU countries remain too slow, reactive, and cautious in responding to hybrid warfare. If this does not change, we will lose.”
– Dominika Hajdu, Co-author of the report.
Photo: Jozef Jakubčo/SME