Experts urge Danes to report signs of possible Russian sabotage

DR reports that experts are urging people in Denmark to notice unusual activity and alert police if something appears suspicious, as PET warns of concrete Russian sabotage plans targeting Danish companies, particularly in the defence industry.

Examples could include a car parked in an unusual place for several days, or someone taking conspicuous photographs of a company, fence or gate.

“Look out for things that deviate from the normal picture,” said Rasmus Dahlberg, a lecturer in societal security at Roskilde University.

Another possible warning sign could be an attempted break-in where nothing appears to have been stolen, but there are marks on locks, fences or other parts of a property.

However, Dahlberg stressed that a mark on a lock is not in itself evidence of Russian sabotage. It is the overall pattern that may be significant.

Contact can also happen online

The threat is not limited to physical activity. Foreign state actors may try to recruit people through digital networks, beginning with an apparently harmless task such as taking a photograph of a particular place or object.

According to Dahlberg, such assignments could develop further if a person agrees to the first task. The concern is also reflected in PET’s warning that ordinary people could be used as intermediaries by Russian actors.

People should not confront anyone, follow cars or investigate suspected activity themselves. But if something appears concretely suspicious, they can inform the police.

“If it is not reported, then at least no one will know about it,” Dahlberg said. He compared this with the way people have learned to respond to an unattended bag at a railway station by passing the information to someone who can assess the situation.

It is the authorities’ responsibility to assess the information and decide whether an observation is important.