The FSB and GRU are recruiting ex-Wagner recruiters to create a network of "disposable agents" in EU countries. They organize sabotage and reconnaissance of NATO facilities, particularly on "shadow fleet" vessels.
The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation and military intelligence (GRU) have intensified the use of former Wagner group recruiters to create a network of "disposable agents" in European Union countries. According to Western intelligence services, Moscow has changed tactics due to the mass expulsion of career diplomat-spies. This is reported by the Financial Times, writes UNN.
Details
The Kremlin's new strategy is based on finding perpetrators among marginalized groups, including refugees and youth, through Telegram channels and gaming platforms. Former employees of the Wagner PMC, who have experience in recruiting personnel for combat operations, are now engaged in organizing small but resonant acts of sabotage – from vandalism at infrastructure facilities to arson of warehouses with humanitarian aid for Ukraine.
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Russian intelligence is looking for "disposable" agents in Europe to sow chaos and weaken the resolve of Western states in supporting Kyiv
– Financial Times experts note in a report dated February 15, 2026.
Presence of Wagner mercenaries on the ships of the "shadow fleet"
In addition to land operations, Russian mercenaries are increasingly appearing on board tankers of the so-called "shadow fleet" in the waters of the Mediterranean and Baltic Seas. Under the guise of technical personnel or security, former GRU and Wagner PMC fighters conduct reconnaissance of NATO military facilities and interfere with the operation of satellite navigation systems.
In January 2026, two such operatives were found on the tanker Qendil, which was damaged as a result of an attack, confirming suspicions about the militarization of the Russian civilian fleet for hybrid warfare.
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