Russia has been accused of sending secret agents to break into and defecate in the homes of Finnish politicians.
asserted
Russia → accuse → politicians
It has emerged that at least 20 MPs have reported mysterious break-ins at their homes, with one saying he found faeces in his bathroom.
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he → emerge → bathroom
MP Ben Zyskowicz, senior MP for Finland's ruling centre-Right National Coalition Party, believes the break-ins are part of a Russian plot to intimidate the country's politicians.
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ins → rule → politicians
'It's a way for the Russian intelligence service to show that people are being monitored, a way to create confusion or concerns,' Mr Zyskowicz said.
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Zyskowicz → show → confusion
Jussi Halla-aho, the speaker of the Finnish parliament, said he was launching an investigation into the 'significant' series of break-ins.
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he → say → ins
The practice has been previously used by Russian agents, with the US State Department documenting multiple home intrusions where agents break into people's homes, move around their belongings and open windows to intimidate their targets.
And in 2014, US officials reported that Soviet-era counterintelligence tactics were being used again against their diplomats.
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tactics → use → diplomats
Former BBC Russia correspondent Sarah Rainsford said in her memoir Goodbye to Russia that secret agents entered her home and left a 'large unflushed deposit in each toilet.'
Vladimir Putin (pictured on Monday) has been accused of sending Russian agents to break into the homes of Finnish MPs
Finnish parliament speaker Jussi Halla-aho (right) said he was launching an investigation into the 'significant' series of break-ins
Guardian reporter Luke Harding also claimed Russian Federal Security Service officers would often force their way into his Moscow flat and noted how one time agents left behind a sex manual.
It comes as Russia is suspected of increasing its hybrid warfare tactics ever since Finland joined NATO in 2023.
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Finland → say → 2023
Having joined the security alliance, Finland lengthened NATO's border with Russia by nearly 1,000 miles.
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Finland → join → miles
Reports of Russia's latest tricks come after Germany's foreign intelligence chief warned on Monday that the country risks being drawn into conflict with Moscow as hybrid attacks increase.
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attacks → come → Moscow
Martin Jaeger, head of Germany's BND spy service, told lawmakers that Russia's undeclared 'shadow war' against Germany and its allies was escalating further and has 'taken on a new, more dangerous character'.
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war → tell → character
'Germany is at risk of being drawn into a violent conflict with Russia,' he said at a hearing of parliament's intelligence oversight committee in Berlin.
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he → draw → Berlin
'No other country currently poses such a direct, comprehensive, and concrete threat to Germany,' he added.
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he → pose → Germany
Among other incidents, Mr Jaeger cited an attempted attack at Leipzig airport in August with an explosives-laden drone, in which Russian agents are the prime suspects.
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agents → cite → which
Germany has repeatedly accused Russia of waging a 'hybrid' campaign of espionage, sabotage and other disruptions – charges that Moscow has vehemently denied.
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Moscow → accuse → that
Berlin has invested record sums into rebuilding its military to deter Russia, and is among the largest supporters of Ukraine in its ongoing war with Moscow.
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Berlin → invest → Moscow
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz made an unannounced visit to Kyiv on Sunday, where he offered further military aid to Ukraine and vowed to continue supporting the country.
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he → make → country
Mr Jaeger said that Germany had 'become a major obstacle to Russia's projection of hegemonic power in Europe - and, consequently, a target of Russian actions'.
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Germany → say → actions
The spy chief said his agency currently sees 'no indication' of plans for a major Russian military attack on a member of the NATO alliance, but warned that 'low-level Russian military activities could occur, particularly in the Baltic states'.
uncertain
activities → say → states
Spy services are playing an essential role in this 'shadow war,' Jaeger added, stressing the importance of a major reform of Germany's intelligence agencies passed earlier this year that let German spies engage in more aggressive covert actions beyond just gathering information.
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spies → play → information
Sinan Selen, the leader of Germany's BfV domestic intelligence agency, stressed that Russian operations are extending far beyond classic espionage to 'sabotage and assassinations'.
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operations → stress → sabotage
'The defence industry and military infrastructure are in the crosshairs,' Selen said, adding that Moscow 'is already accepting the risk of potential civilian casualties' in its violent campaign against Germany.
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Moscow → say → Germany
The Aporia
