Romania thwarts Russian-linked sabotage plot

The Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI) announced the prevention of a sabotage plot involving a Russian citizen. The individual had been under surveillance since February 2024 and was suspected of preparing diversionary activities.

According to investigators, the suspect was instructed via an encrypted messaging application to capture photographs and videos of strategic military targets. These targets included NATO communication centers, Romanian military bases, headquarters of national security and law enforcement agencies, and critical infrastructure. The surveillance also reportedly included movements of soldiers, combat vehicles, and Ukrainian Antonov cargo aircraft located in Romania.

The SRI noted that the operational patterns observed are consistent with sabotage networks coordinated by organizations from the Russian Federation, similar to incidents thwarted in Romania and other European nations during 2024 and 2025. The operation was carried out in coordination with the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT), the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and military intelligence.

DIICOT has taken the 40-year-old suspect into custody and is seeking a 30-day pre-trial detention at the Bucharest Court. The investigation revealed that the suspect monitored locations across Cluj, Constanta, Calarasi, Ilfov, and Bucharest.