Russian spy campaigns are increasingly targeting Western technological know-how, Europe warns
European intelligence agencies are warning that Russia is now operating more aggressively to steal information about Western technology and defense secrets. Sectors such as weaponry, space, and marine are the primary targets.
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European intelligence agencies warn Russia is intensifying espionage to steal Western defense and tech secrets.
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Targets include weapons research, space systems, quantum tech, and advanced manufacturing equipment.
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Moscow is using fake companies, middlemen, and cyber spies to bypass sanctions and restrictions.
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Officials say Russia is taking greater risks, showing little concern about being identified or caught.
The Russia-Ukraine war and the following years of international sanctions have impeded Moscow’s ability to acquire machinery, technology, and research from Europe. On top of that, Russian companies no longer have access to software updates, which not only affects servers and production systems in factories, but PCs and smartphones as well.
These developments also nearly led Russia toward financial bankruptcy and partially immobilized the country’s attack and defense capabilities.
Several senior European intelligence officials have told The Associated Press (AP) that Moscow is building fake companies, recruiting middlemen, and deploying cyber spies and hackers to collect information that could be used to attack key infrastructure in European countries.
Christoffer Wedelin, Deputy Head of Operations at the Swedish Security Service, told the American press agency that the Russians “really know what they need” and that they are putting “serious effort” into acquiring advanced machine tools, factory equipment, research, and dual-use technology.
For example, Russia is targeting Sweden’s defense industry and high-end research to get a hold of the country’s most advanced weaponry. In addition, Moscow is also trying to procure camera and laser technology with the intention of integrating this technology into Russian weapons systems.
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Juha Martelius, Director of Finland’s Security and Intelligence Service, adds that Russia is also trying to obtain Western technology to give it an edge against the West, including in space, the Arctic, the marine environment, and quantum technology.
The European intelligence officials say that Russia doesn’t care about getting caught. “They’re no longer caring as much about potential attribution after their activities, so they are taking greater risks to achieve their goals,” Wedelin claims.
Several examples of such instances have been recorded in recent years. In September 2025, for example, the Dutch National Police arrested two 17-year-olds who were accused of WiFi sniffing at the headquarters of European law enforcement agencies after being recruited by Russian intelligence.
Last week, a consultant and a concert pianist were arrested in the Netherlands for allegedly hosting digital infrastructure that was used by NoName057(16), a pro-Russian hacking collective that has repeatedly targeted Ukraine and its allies.
Around the same time, Anne Keast-Butler, Director of the UK’s Signals Intelligence Agency, accused Moscow of “relentlessly targeting” the UK and its European allies, by stealing technology and plotting sabotage and assassination attempts.
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