Kathrine Frich
Recruiters once tied to Russia’s Wagner Group are now allegedly being used to organise sabotage operations across Europe.
Western intelligence officials say the network has shifted from the battlefield in Ukraine to covert activity on NATO territory.
Join the fight
According to the Financial Times, individuals who previously persuaded Russians to join the fight in Ukraine have been reassigned to recruit economically vulnerable Europeans for acts of violence and disruption.
One Western intelligence official told the newspaper that Russia’s military intelligence service, the GRU, is “using the talent it has at its disposal,” referring to Wagner’s established recruitment and propaganda structures.
Recruitment drive
Officials cited by the FT said former Wagner operatives are now tasked with enlisting so-called “disposable” agents to carry out arson attacks on politicians’ vehicles, target warehouses storing aid for Ukraine and spread extremist propaganda.
The GRU and Russia’s domestic security agency, the FSB, are described as increasingly active in seeking recruits inside Europe to fuel instability and undermine support for Kyiv.
Western officials say the campaign has expanded over the past two years, with the aim of weakening military and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.
Targeting the vulnerable
Intelligence sources say recruitment efforts focus on marginalised groups, including refugees and young people, often approached via Telegram channels or gaming platforms.
Former Wagner personnel, experienced in mobilising fighters, are reportedly organising small-scale but high-impact actions such as infrastructure vandalism and warehouse fires.
European security agencies have placed the Wagner network under growing scrutiny, particularly after social media accounts linked to the group were accused of attempting to recruit British nationals for sabotage operations.
Sources: Financial Times, Ziare.
