Russia is preparing targeted acts of sabotage against companies linked to Denmark’s defence industry, according to the country’s Security and Intelligence Service, known as PET.
The warning was issued as Danish authorities raised concerns about Russian intelligence activity directed at businesses involved in providing military assistance to Ukraine. PET’s counter-intelligence chief, Emil Graesholm, told Danish media outlets DR and Berlingske that the threat had moved beyond a general possibility, with Russia already making concrete preparations for potential acts of sabotage.
According to Graesholm, companies connected to Denmark’s support for Ukraine could be among the potential targets. The warning reflects growing concern within Danish security agencies over covert activities intended to disrupt military supply chains or create pressure on countries supporting Kyiv.
PET has also identified efforts to recruit or manipulate ordinary Danish citizens through social media and other online platforms. Individuals may be approached with requests to carry out seemingly simple tasks, such as taking photographs or collecting information about particular locations. Danish intelligence officials believe some of the information gathered in this way could later be used to support sabotage planning.
The concern is not limited to the collection of sensitive information. PET’s assessment suggests that foreign intelligence services are increasingly seeking to exploit people inside European countries to conduct low-level activities that can contribute to wider covert operations. Such approaches can make it difficult for those involved to recognise the potential security implications of what they are being asked to do.
Danish authorities have responded by strengthening co-operation between PET, the country’s military intelligence service and other relevant government bodies. Businesses considered vulnerable to potential interference have also been urged to review their security arrangements and remain alert to suspicious approaches.
Rasmus Anderskou, security chief at the Confederation of Danish Industry, has called on companies to take the warning seriously. Businesses involved in defence production, logistics and military supplies are particularly sensitive because disruption to their operations could affect Denmark’s ability to support Ukraine.
The warning comes against the wider backdrop of heightened security concerns across Europe since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. European intelligence agencies have increasingly focused on espionage, cyber operations, influence campaigns and alleged sabotage activities targeting infrastructure and organisations connected with support for Ukraine.
For Denmark, the issue carries particular significance because the country has been among the European states providing military and other assistance to Ukraine. Any attempt to interfere with companies involved in that support could therefore have consequences extending beyond individual businesses.
Flemming Splidsboel, a senior researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies, described the reported threat as representing a new and more advanced level of activity. His assessment underlines the changing nature of security risks facing European countries, where traditional intelligence gathering can increasingly be combined with recruitment through digital platforms and covert physical operations.
Former military intelligence analyst Jacob Kaarsbo said the Danish authorities’ decision to issue an early public warning could itself send a clear message to Russia. By publicly highlighting the suspected preparations, Copenhagen is signalling that Danish intelligence agencies are monitoring such activities and that companies and individuals are being encouraged to report suspicious behaviour.
PET’s warning does not mean that an attack has taken place in Denmark. Rather, it indicates that the intelligence service believes preparations and related activities have reached a level that warrants heightened vigilance.
Danish authorities are therefore urging businesses and members of the public to exercise caution when approached online with unusual requests involving photographs, information gathering or access to sensitive locations. The emphasis is on identifying suspicious activity at an early stage and preventing information collected for apparently harmless purposes from being turned into a tool for more serious security operations.
