Kathrine Frich
The shadows of global conflict often stretch far beyond the actual battlefield.
For one European nation, those shadows are reportedly taking the shape of covert operations right on its doorstep. The threat feels invisible, but the warnings are growing loud.
A clear target
Russia considers Britain to be its primary rival in Europe. That is the stark assessment from exiled Russian businessman Mikhail Khodorkovsky. He sees a clear danger.
He believes Vladimir Putin is prepared to use any available method to strike the country. According to an interview he gave to The Sun cited by Express, the Russian leader has multiple tools at his disposal to cause chaos.
The threat of a hybrid attack hangs heavily over allies of Ukraine. Covert action is not just a future possibility, because secret operations are already underway on British soil.
Spies and local criminals
Military intelligence agents from the GRU remain a primary weapon for the Kremlin. In 2018, these operatives struck Salisbury with a deadly nerve agent. The strike targeted a former spy. Ultimately, it claimed the life of a local mother.
Another layer of danger involves the Federal Security Service. This vast network operates as the modern successor to the Soviet KGB. They specialise in moving quietly.
But the most surprising tactic relies on local recruits. British criminals offer a cheap and weak option for foreign handlers. Even so, Khodorkovsky told The Sun that this method works well and is actively deployed today.
Fire in the streets
We have already seen the destructive results of this local recruitment strategy. A UK court recently jailed two men for decades after they orchestrated an arson attack.
Last March, they targeted a Ukrainian business in east London on behalf of the Russian Wagner Group. The sprawling plot went even further. It included detailed plans to kidnap a Russian dissident from a fancy Mayfair restaurant.
Khodorkovsky laughs at the idea that wealthy elites will overthrow the Russian president anytime soon. He insists Britain must simply prepare for more aggression.
This stark warning arrived just as the physical war intensified again. Over the weekend, Russia and Ukraine traded massive drone barrages, ending with hundreds of crafts destroyed in the night sky.
Sources: The Sun, Daily Express
