Czech Intelligence: Russia Using Migrants to Conduct Arson and Sabotage in the EU via Telegram

Russia is actively recruiting migrants from outside the European Union to commit acts of sabotage, arson, and other crimes aimed at spreading fear and undermining trust in European governments.

The warning comes from the Czech Security Information Service (BIS), which released its 2024 annual report outlining a range of threats to national security. The findings were first reported by Politico.

Telegram as a Recruitment Tool

According to BIS analysts, Russian intelligence agencies have been using the popular messaging app Telegram to approach and recruit individuals willing to carry out criminal acts inside the EU. These assignments reportedly include filming military bases, photographing logistics hubs that handle Western military aid to Ukraine, or committing acts of arson against strategic infrastructure.

What makes this tactic particularly dangerous, the agency says, is that many of the recruits may not even realize they are working for the Russian state. Recruitment often takes place through layers of intermediaries, masking the Kremlin’s direct involvement and making the activities appear to be simple paid “gigs” or “jobs.”

Psychological Warfare and Destabilization

BIS stresses that the ultimate aim of these operations goes beyond physical damage or intelligence gathering. Each incident is designed to have a psychological impact—to weaken social cohesion, spread fear and uncertainty, and erode public trust in the ability of governments to protect their citizens.

By increasing a sense of insecurity, Moscow hopes to create political pressure within EU societies to scale back military and financial support for Ukraine. This fits into the broader Russian strategy of hybrid warfare, in which information manipulation, economic pressure, and sabotage are combined to destabilize adversaries from within.

The Russian Orthodox Church as a Political Tool

The report also highlights another channel of Russian influence—the Russian Orthodox Church in the Czech Republic. BIS describes it as “completely loyal to the Kremlin” and warns that it serves not only as a religious institution but also as a conduit for political messaging aligned with Moscow’s interests.

This aligns with Western intelligence findings in other EU countries, where religious networks have been used to spread Kremlin narratives and influence public opinion, particularly among Russian-speaking communities.

Czech Countermeasures Against Kremlin Agents

Since 2022, Prague has maintained its national sanctions list targeting individuals and entities that support or facilitate the Putin regime. Those sanctioned include Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church; billionaire Vladimir Yevtushenkov and his son Felix; Russia’s chief rocket engineer Boris Obnosov; and Viktor Medvedchuk, a pro-Kremlin Ukrainian politician and close ally of Vladimir Putin.

Last year, the Czech Republic also placed Andrei Averyanov, one of the highest-ranking officers in Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency, on its wanted list. Averyanov is believed to have played a key role in the 2014 explosions at ammunition depots in the Czech town of Vrbetice, which killed two people and severely strained Czech-Russian relations.

Why This Matters for European Security

The BIS report underscores the evolution of Russian hybrid warfare from high-profile military operations to more covert and deniable acts within EU borders. Using migrants as operatives—often unwitting—allows Moscow to exploit legal loopholes and complicate law enforcement investigations.

It also reflects a shift toward low-cost, high-impact tactics that do not require direct Russian personnel on the ground, reducing the risk of diplomatic fallout if operations are exposed. This makes it a serious challenge for European counterintelligence, which must now focus on community-level awareness, online monitoring, and rapid response to incidents before they can have a political or psychological effect.