Russia has stepped up efforts to obtain Western technology while circumventing sanctions — AP
Moscow is stepping up the activities of its intelligence services amid growing pressure from sanctions. According to the AP, Russian intelligence agencies are increasingly trying to gain access to Western technology, defense developments, and classified information, as international sanctions are hampering the operations of Russia’s military-industrial complex.
Four years of intensified international sanctions have limited Moscow’s ability to procure European equipment, technologies, and scientific research, while the grueling war against Ukraine has strained key industrial sectors and pushed the country toward a potential financial crisis.
“The Russians really know what they need and are making serious efforts to acquire modern machine tools, factory equipment, scientific research, and dual-use technologies,” noted Christopher Wedelin, deputy head of the Swedish Security Service’s operations department.
According to him, in Sweden, Russia has targeted the defense industry and new research in the field of armaments, particularly the Gripen fighter jet. It is also attempting to acquire cameras and laser technologies developed for civilian purposes that can be integrated into Russian weapons systems, he added. Moscow is also trying to steal technologies that will help it keep pace with the West—or even gain an advantage over it—in the coming decades, added Juha Martelius, Director of Finland’s Security and Intelligence Service.
“We’re talking about space technology, quantum technology, Arctic technology, and maritime technology,” he said, adding that space technology is what Russia needs “right now,” without going into details. Countries use such technologies for satellite imaging, communications, and navigation.
Russia also needs computer technologies subject to sanctions and software updates for metalworking machines, Martelius noted.
But as technology procurement schemes become increasingly complex, Western companies need to be more aware that they could unwittingly become part of Russia’s war supply chain, Vedelin noted. “All of Russia’s security and intelligence services are assisting the state in its efforts to obtain this. They are no longer as concerned about the possibility of their actions being exposed, so they are taking greater risks to achieve their goals,” said Vedelin.
On Wednesday, the director of the British intelligence service, Anne Kist-Butler, accused Russia of “targeting” the United Kingdom and its European allies through technology theft and the planning of sabotage and assassination attempts.
Moscow is also carrying out cyberattacks against European companies and critical infrastructure, seeking to gather information it can use “when the opportunity arises and when it serves its objectives,” Vedelin noted. As an example, he cited last year’s cyberattack on a Swedish power plant, which Russia-linked actors attempted to “destroy” but failed to do so. He noted that the attack was partly aimed at undermining Western support for Ukraine.
Russia’s increasingly aggressive tactics may indicate growing internal concerns about its economy, which “is in very poor shape,” noted Kaupo Rosin, head of Estonia’s Foreign Intelligence Service.
About a third of Russia’s gross domestic product is currently being spent on military needs. The war and related sanctions have slowed economic growth and fueled persistent inflation. Rosin noted that intelligence data held by his agency indicates a deterioration in sentiment among Russian officials over the past six months, and rhetoric about a “complete victory” in Ukraine has disappeared. According to Rosin, who cites intelligence reports, due to a lack of progress on the battlefield and economic hardships, many Russian officials are privately asking, “What is all this for?”
Ukraine has imposed a new package of sanctions against Russian commanders who directed missile strikes on Ukrainian cities, as well as against ships providing military logistics to Russia.
Ukraine has rejected the idea of “associated” EU membership without voting rights, which had been discussed in European political circles. Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that such a format is unfair and does not correspond to Ukraine’s role in European security.
The European Union has moved to the practical stage of preparing Montenegro’s accession treaty. The country continues on its path toward EU integration and has declared its intention to become a member by 2028.
Ukraine hopes that the European Union will open all six negotiation chapters on the country’s accession this year and anticipates the possibility of closing at least one of them by the end of the year.
Ukraine may temporarily forego some of the benefits of EU membership to accelerate the accession process. Taras Kachka noted that such a step would help the country integrate into the EU more quickly.
