Czech spooks say Russian sabotage falling flat

PRAGUE – Russia has intensified covert operations in Czechia, but its efforts have resulted in only “minor security incidents,” according to an annual report from Czechia’s domestic intelligence agency (BIS).

The report, published on Thursday, says Russian intelligence has struggled to operate effectively due to a lack of experienced operatives on the ground. Instead, it has resorted to outsourcing sabotage missions through anonymous ads on Telegram, offering cash payments to carry out disruptive acts.

These so-called “Telegram agents” have been tasked with photographing military sites, sending suspicious packages, and even committing arson, according to the report. One case involved a Colombian national who torched a bus in Prague after responding to an online offer. Another involved mailings of self-igniting packages.

But Czech counterintelligence says the impact was limited. “Despite the considerable resources and efforts … this activity has led only to minor security incidents,” the report states.

The agency says recruiters often target vulnerable migrants from outside the EU or from Russian-influenced countries, and many may not even realise they are working for Moscow. According to the report, the goal is not necessarily physical damage, but to spread fear, disrupt public trust, and weaken support for Ukraine.

The intelligence agency also connected a wave of bomb threats against Czech schools in September to Russian-speaking networks.

In a separate case, the investigative outlet Odkryto.cz reported an alleged Russian plan to attack a Czech ammunition initiative supplying Ukraine. The operation reportedly involved a 52-year-old man of post-Soviet origin based in Prague. Military intelligence identified the threat after a warning from a foreign partner, but later confirmed that no arrests had been made and no concrete danger had been confirmed.