Russian intelligence services are actively preparing sabotage operations against companies in Denmark’s defence industry, the Danish Security and Intelligence Service (PET) alleged on Wednesday.
Emil Graesholm, PET’s head of counterintelligence, told public broadcaster DR that Danish companies were targets of “concrete Russian sabotage planning”.
“We see that Danish companies are also targets for concrete Russian sabotage planning, and that Russian intelligence services are actively preparing sabotage operations aimed at the defence industry in Denmark,” Graesholm said.
He also told Danish newspaper Berlingske that authorities had uncovered specific Russian plans for sabotage operations against companies in Denmark.
“Therefore, this is not just a warning that it might come to Denmark one day. We are already seeing the planning now. Very concretely,” he said.
The companies that could be targeted include defence firms linked to military aid to Ukraine, according to PET.
Recruitment efforts
PET said it had identified “concrete examples” of Russia attempting to recruit ordinary Danes through social media and other online platforms.
Those individuals could be asked to carry out tasks such as photographing companies or installations to help plan sabotage operations, the intelligence service said.
“It is extremely serious if ordinary Danes help Russian intelligence services — either intentionally or unknowingly,” Graesholm said.
Public warning
“It is such a concrete identification and preparation that we find it necessary to go out with the message that it is a threat that must be taken seriously,” he said.
The Confederation of Danish Industry said it was taking PET’s assessment seriously and was in close contact with relevant authorities.
“The changed threat picture calls for increased attention from companies, but also for calm and proportionality,” said Rasmus Anderskouv, the organisation’s head of security and preparedness.
No direct evidence
Despite PET saying Russia has become more willing to use hybrid measures, including physical sabotage across Europe, the agency also said it was not currently aware of “any specific instances of Russian physical sabotage in Denmark.”
Western governments have accused Russia of being behind several sabotage incidents, particularly those involving undersea cables and pipelines, but direct evidence linking Moscow to the incidents remains inconclusive. Russia denies the accusations.
The 2022 Nord Stream attacks in the Baltic Sea were initially widely attributed to Russia, until it emerged that the pipeline sabotage was linked to Ukraine.
On August 19 2026, German investigators arrested a Ukrainian man in relation to the undersea explosions.
