European officials say Russia has stepped up efforts to obtain Western technology under sanctions
The Facts
- Three senior European intelligence officials told the Associated Press that Russia's intelligence services have become more aggressive in trying to obtain Western technology and defense secrets.
- The officials said Russia is using methods including fake companies, recruited middlemen, cyber spies and hackers to pursue restricted technology and information.
- The officials linked the increased effort to the pressure that sanctions and the war in Ukraine have placed on Russia's wartime economy and industrial base.
- According to the officials, four years of sanctions have limited Moscow's ability to buy machinery, technology and research from Europe through normal channels.
- Officials said Russia is seeking advanced machine tools, factory equipment, research and dual-use technology that could support military production.
- The reported targeting extends beyond military secrets to advanced sectors in Europe, including defense industry research and technologies with civilian and military applications.
- European officials warned that some cyber collection tied to these efforts could also support attacks on critical infrastructure, broadening the security risk beyond technology theft alone.
- The officials' account describes an ongoing intelligence and procurement campaign, but the public reports do not specify what new countermeasures European governments will take in response.
How left and right are reading this
- Both agree
- Sanctions and wartime pressure are constraining Russia’s normal access to machinery, technology, and research, driving a broader covert push into Western advanced sectors and dual-use technologies with security risks beyond straightforward espionage.
- They split on
- Less a disagreement than a question of emphasis: the danger that this expanded campaign now reaches critical infrastructure and civilian-linked sectors, versus the evidence that sanctions are successfully disrupting normal procurement and forcing riskier workarounds.
Context
Why do officials say Russia is increasing these efforts now?
Officials said sanctions have made it harder for Russia to legally obtain European machinery, technology and research, while the war in Ukraine has added pressure on key industries and the broader wartime economy Business Standard,УКРІНФОРМ.
What kinds of technology are officials saying Russia wants?
The officials said Russia is seeking advanced machine tools, factory equipment, research and dual-use technology; other reporting in the source pool says targets include defense industry work and fields such as space, quantum and other advanced technologies that could be adapted for military use Ukrinform-EN,Украина Онл….
Who is affected by these reported operations?
The reported targets include European defense companies, research institutions and firms working on advanced civilian technologies, while officials also warned that related cyber activity could threaten critical infrastructure Times of India,Прямий.
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