h.ua

Danish intelligence warns of concrete Russian sabotage planning against defense firms tied to Ukraine aid

Updated 3 September 2026

Denmark's Security and Intelligence Service (PET) publicly warned that Russian intelligence services are at a concrete stage of planning sabotage operations on Danish territory, primarily targeting defense-industry companies linked to military aid to Ukraine. PET's head of counterintelligence Emil Græsholm said the threat is specific enough to justify an unusually public alert and urged defense companies to strengthen security measures.

Why it matters

PET's decision to go public with a warning is unusual for the normally discreet Danish service and signals that the threat is assessed as concrete. The primary targets are firms tied to arms deliveries to Ukraine, directly linking the sabotage campaign to disrupting Western military aid. Russia's use of social media and gaming platforms to recruit ordinary Danish citizens, who may not realize they are cooperating with Moscow, points to a broadening of hybrid tactics. The Danish alert comes alongside suspected Russian sabotage activity across Europe, suggesting a coordinated effort.

What happened

PET stated that Russian intelligence services are conducting concrete planning of sabotage operations on Danish territory, with defense-industry companies linked to military aid to Ukraine as the primary targets. Græsholm, head of PET's counterintelligence division, made the public warning, saying Russia's main goal is to halt specific defense deliveries to Ukraine and to intimidate Denmark into reducing its support for Ukraine and halting expansion of its own defense industry. PET identified arson as one possible scenario for the planned sabotage and called on Danish defense firms to strengthen security. Græsholm said Russian services are recruiting ordinary Danish citizens through social networks and online and gaming platforms, asking them to photograph or film companies and infrastructure to feed into sabotage planning; those recruited may cooperate either knowingly or without realizing they are working for Moscow. PET assesses the threat will continue to grow in scale and complexity and that Russian intelligence is broadly interested in Denmark's defense industry, including Ukrainian defense manufacturers based in the country.

How Ukrainian sources describe it

Ukrainian media covers the Danish warning as part of a broader Russian effort to halt defense deliveries to Ukraine and deter further Western military support. Sources frame the recruitment of Danish citizens as a tool for disrupting Ukraine's arms supply chain and place the PET warning alongside recent alleged Russian sabotage acts across Europe — including the drone incident at Leipzig/Halle airport targeting a Ukrainian An-124 aircraft, a fire at a Polish drone plant that Prime Minister Donald Tusk called sabotage, an arson attempt foiled at a Slovak drone factory, and Sweden's convening of its National Security Council — to portray a coordinated Russian hybrid campaign against aid to Ukraine.

Background

Denmark has been a supplier of weapons to Ukraine and has expanded its own defense industry to support Kyiv, making Danish defense companies a logical target for Russian operations. On 1 September, Germany publicly blamed Russia for a hybrid attack at Leipzig/Halle airport involving a drone carrying explosives discovered near a Ukrainian An-124 transport aircraft and announced countermeasures including the closure of the Russian consulate general in Bonn and the "Russian House" in Berlin. Sweden subsequently convened its National Security Council over similar threats, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said a fire at a Polish drone plant was sabotage, and Slovak police said they prevented an arson attempt at a drone factory. Reports also indicate Russia is recruiting gangs to carry out sabotage at European defense enterprises.

Sources