Russia has been accused of carrying out several recent acts of sabotage that demonstrate President Vladimir Putin’s desire to conquer more than just Ukraine, U.S. and European officials warn.
The latest instance occurred this weekend, when a rail line in Poland was blown up in what Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called “an unprecedented act of sabotage.” It comes on the heels of several similar acts of sabotage befalling NATO members in Europe.
“Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine is about to enter its fourth year. President Putin’s maximalist objectives have not changed: to conquer Ukraine, to dominate its near abroad, to divide the West, and to push the U.S. out of Europe. Russia’s attempts to weaken the West follow this old Soviet playbook, fostering division and fear,” Margus Tsahkna, Estonia’s minister of foreign affairs, said during a Helsinki Commission hearing on Monday.
Estonia has been one of the European countries facing individualized acts of sabotage, often referred to as gray-zone warfare, because the actions do not meet the long-standing threshold of armed conflict.
Three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets violated Estonian airspace on Sept. 19 and remained in its airspace for 12 minutes, getting as close as 10 miles from the country’s capital of Tallinn, Tsahkna added. It was the fourth violation of its airspace this year and the 83rd violation since 2003.
“War criminal Vladimir Putin is driven by imperial ambition in a desire to recreate the failed Soviet Empire. Our eastern flank allies know better than anyone: Deterrence is the first and best line of defense against an enemy with an insatiable appetite for invasion. Airspace and maritime violations are only part of his effort to probe NATO defenses, test our unity and undermine the institutions he despises,” Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC), who is co-chairman of the commission, said.
Since the beginning of September, Russian drones have entered Polish and Romanian airspace, a Russian jet flew over a German Navy frigate in the Baltic Sea, airports in Denmark and Norway had to temporarily shut down due to unknown drone activity, and Germany is investigating whether Russia was responsible for a mysterious swarm of drones caught spying on a power plant, hospital, and shipyard.
Russia has denied its responsibility and involvement in these incidents.
The drone incursion into Polish airspace ultimately led to the first instance of NATO forces shooting down possible threats in allied airspace.
“Every time when Russia has more pressure on, he’s going to talk about escalation, he’s going to talk about the nuclear deterrence, and then the western part of the world will be frozen,” the Estonian foreign minister added.
Russian forces began their full-scale war in Ukraine in February 2022. Almost four years later, Russia has captured about one-fifth of Ukraine, even though most experts predicted they would be able to topple the Ukrainian government and install a more pro-Moscow regime within a matter of weeks, and have sustained more than 1 million casualties.
Despite the limited battlefield success, Putin has shown no indication of a willingness to negotiate an end to the conflict that doesn’t include securing gains that Russia has not acquired militarily.
President Donald Trump came into office seeking to end the war, but has had little success to show for it so far through the first 10 months of his administration, despite an in-person meeting with Putin in August in Alaska.
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On Sunday, Trump expressed support for legislation that would sanction Russia’s trading partners. The Senate had been hesitant to move forward with this bill before Trump’s explicit approval.
“I am very pleased that with President Trump’s blessing, Congress will be moving on the overwhelmingly bipartisan Russia sanctions bill that will provide President Trump with more tools to end the bloodbath in Ukraine,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said in response to the president’s remarks.
