An expert has raised alarms that Vladimir Putin is orchestrating efforts to cause “mass casualty events” in Europe.
Ties between Moscow and the West have frayed beyond repair following Russia’s hostile incursion into Ukraine.
Lately, following permissions from the UK and US for Ukraine to counterattack Russian soil with their armaments, Putin and his cohorts threatened retaliation.
Now analysts are convinced that Russia has commenced covert offensives against Britain and its European allies who support Ukraine.
Keir Giles, a leading authority at Chatham House and writer of Who Will Defend Europe?, shared an instance demonstrating Putins readiness to inflict casualties on European soil if deemed necessary.
Speaking to The Telegraph, he explained, “It’s impossible to tell how widespread this is, because we only see what comes to light and some of what comes to light is by accident. Some countries are very keen to keep a lid on it.”
He expressed concerns about Russias tactics, “We ought to be concerned that Russia is willing to consider causing mass-casualty events in Europe, as evidenced by the airliner plot. That was the one element missing in the campaigns of murder sabotage in previous decades. And that’s a worry.”
Mr Giles alluded to the recent aircraft disaster near Vilnius, Lithuania, in his remarks.
The crash site witnessed a cargo plane plummet, slide into a residential structure, and erupt in flames, killing one crew member.
Despite German Chancellor Olaf Scholz intimating suspicions of Russian foul play in the incident, Lithuanian authorities have rejected such speculation.
Western security officials have claimed that Russia was behind a covert operation involving the placement of incendiary devices on planes bound for the UK and Germany in July. A DHL warehouse in Birmingham was set ablaze after a package allegedly containing a device was flown into the UK.
In a speech last month, MI5 director general Ken McCallum warned that Russia aims to create “mayhem” in the UK, stating, “We should expect to see continued acts of aggression here at home.”
He specifically highlighted the GRU, Russia‘s military intelligence service, as being on a mission to cause chaos on British and European streets through acts like arson, sabotage, and more, carried out with growing recklessness.