Russia sets up secret sabotage unit targeting Europe and beyond

According to The Wall Street Journal, Western intelligence agencies have uncovered details about a new covert unit within Russian special services, designed to conduct secret operations throughout Europe and beyond.

The Department of Special Tasks (SSD) operates out of Russian military intelligence headquarters on the outskirts of Moscow, in a modern glass-and-steel complex known as the Aquarium.

Formed in 2023, the unit consists of seasoned agents involved in high-profile operations, including the 2018 poisoning of Sergei Skripal. It is led by Colonel General Andrey Averyanov, a veteran of the Chechen wars, wanted by Czech authorities for his role in the 2014 ammunition depot bombings.

His deputy, Lieutenant General Ivan Kasianenko, oversees not only operations against Western nations but also coordinates private military companies, including the Wagner PMC, following the death of its founder Yevgeny Prigozhin.

The SSD focuses on three main tasks: assassinations and sabotage abroad, infiltration of Western companies and universities, and recruitment of foreign agents.

The unit is particularly active in Ukraine and in countries that support Russia, such as Serbia.

Some SSD operations aim to undermine Western influence in response to military aid to Ukraine. One notable example involved incendiary devices on planes carrying DHL cargo and a series of arson attacks in major European cities, including Leipzig and Warsaw.

The EU and the U.S. have imposed sanctions on several members of the unit, accusing them of organizing coups, assassinations, and cyberattacks. The Kremlin denies these accusations, calling them unfounded.

Western intelligence agencies are increasingly concerned about the SSD's activities and are calling for stronger counterintelligence measures. Experts suggest that the U.S. and its allies should take a more aggressive stance, including covert operations on Russian soil, to counter these threats.

• In August 2024, a NATO air base in the German city of Geilenkirchen, where reconnaissance aircraft are stationed, was closed due to suspected sabotage.