PRAGUE, Oct 12 (Reuters) – Russia could resort to riskier and more significant operations in NATO member states supporting Ukraine within months, the head of the Czech security service said on Monday, as Moscow seems to be adopting a tactic of “escalation for de-escalation”.
• “This could involve sabotage attacks on the territory of a NATO member state against a facility connected to aid for Ukraine, a drone or missile attack on a weapons depot intended for Ukraine, or, in an extreme case, even a limited military action against one of the neighbouring member states of the Alliance,” Michal Koudelka told a parliamentary security conference
• He said that last threat was not currently immediate as “Russia has all its forces concentrated in Ukraine”
• Koudelka, director general of the Czech Security Information Service, said his agency had no specific information on a direct threat to the Czech Republic but was monitoring operations aimed at the country and allies closely
• He said Russia’s hybrid activities were aimed at weakening unity in the NATO military alliance
• President Vladimir Putin said this month Russia had no plans to attack any European country and wanted to coexist peacefully. Moscow has also repeatedly denied involvement in sabotage or hybrid warfare operations
(Reporting by Jason Hovet and Michael Kahn;Editing by Gareth Jones and Alison Williams)
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