Russia is intentionally muddying the information space with false flag claims and information operations in an attempt to generate cover for overt and covert attacks against Europe in the past several years, including the recent Russian drone incursions into NATO airspace.
Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) Head Alexander Bortnikov on October 16 falsely accused the United Kingdom (UK) of fueling “hysteria” about the threat Russia poses to Europe and claimed that “NATO intelligence services” participated in the recent drone incursions over European countries that Russia actually conducted.
Bortnikov accused the UK of trying to establish a naval blockade of Kaliningrad region and the Baltic Sea and attempted to discredit recent UK sanctions against the Russian oil industry and shadow fleet as part of the alleged “blockade” campaign.
Bortnikov also accused the UK of planning sabotage operations with Ukrainian special services against the TurkStream pipeline and Russian critical infrastructure.
Bortnikov’s accusations against the UK follow an October 6 claim by Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) that the UK is planning for a group of pro-Ukrainian Russians fighting for Ukraine to conduct an attack on a Ukrainian Navy ship or a foreign civilian vessel in a European port.
The SVR has been releasing similar claims more frequently in recent weeks, constituting a new concerted pattern of activity that is likely part of Russia’s “Phase Zero” informational and psychological condition setting phase for a higher level of NATO-Russia conflict.
The FSB and SVR are likely engaged in a cognitive warfare campaign aimed at sowing confusion among the European population and the international community about the actor responsible for a variety of overt and covert attacks against NATO states, such as sabotage missions, electronic warfare (EW) interference, GPS jamming, drone incursions, and arson. Officials from several European states have identified Russia as responsible for many of these attacks, including many of the drone incursions into European airspace in the past few weeks.
The European Parliament also passed a resolution on October 9 identifying Russia as responsible for many of the recent “escalatory actions” and deliberate drone incursions.
