Denmark says Russia is actively preparing sabotage against defence industry

Denmark's counterintelligence chief has said Russia is actively preparing sabotage operations against the country, with the defence industry singled out as a particular target. Emil Graesholm said the alleged effort includes attempts to recruit ordinary Danish citizens for tasks such as photographing sites and checking access and security conditions around facilities. His comments were reported on Thursday, 3 September, in remarks to a Danish newspaper.

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Graesholm said the methods described do not need to resemble scenes from a spy film. He said Russian security services are trying to use people who may not appear suspicious, rather than relying only on obvious covert operatives. The alleged tasks, he said, could include surveillance and information gathering around installations linked to defence production.

The warning adds to Denmark's long-running concern about Russian activity since 2024, when Copenhagen said the threat from Moscow to national security had increased because of Danish support for Ukraine. The latest allegation comes as several European countries have reported suspected Russian interference, sabotage or hybrid activity linked to the war. Denmark has not said in the supplied material that any sabotage has taken place, but it says preparations are under way.

The issue matters because defence industry sites are part of the infrastructure that supports military readiness and wider European security. Any attempt to map access points, identify weaknesses or recruit local helpers could increase the risk of disruption even before an attack occurs. For a NATO member that has been publicly supportive of Ukraine, the allegation also fits a broader pattern of concern about retaliation through covert means.

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The Danish warning comes against a backdrop of heightened European scrutiny of Russian operations. The supplied material says Germany this week accused Russia of involvement in a drone incident at Leipzig airport in August and in an attack on an electricity substation near a thermal power plant. It also says the European Union summoned Russia's top diplomatic representative to the bloc after the Leipzig incident, while Berlin announced retaliatory measures.

What remains unclear is whether Danish authorities have identified specific targets, suspects or planned dates for any alleged sabotage. The supplied material does not say whether arrests have been made or whether the warning is based on a single case or a wider intelligence assessment. The next developments to watch are whether Copenhagen names additional protective measures, and whether other European governments report similar recruitment attempts.

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