New phase of Russian provocations in Europe

On 21 January, a far right radical named Rasmus Paludan staged a rally in front of the Turkish embassy in Stockholm in which he burned the holy Koran. The involvement of the GRU, Russia’s military intelligence service, in this provocation, as well as the motives and strategic goals of the operation, fit well with the style of Russian intelligence service.

Russian military and political leadership are feverishly looking for every possible way to change the situation regarding Sweden’s aspiration to become a NATO member.

Finland and Sweden – targets of Russian intelligence

Although the European Union and NATO are now more united than ever in their history and the Russian aggression against Ukraine has only brought them closer, the intelligence network that the Russian secret services have at their disposal is still strong enough to cause destabilization within the Western nations. 

After a rather successful provocation in Stockholm, the next target for the GRU (Russian intelligence) is likely to be Helsinki. Pekka Kallioniemi, Ph.D. in interactive technology, social media, algorithms & disinformation, tweeted about this.

Panu Huuhtanen – ethno-nationalist and far-right radical

“I am an ethno-nationalist. No party is specifically designed for ethnic Finns. We need people in parliament who understand that Finns are the indigenous people of Finland and demand protection against mass immigration of ethnic billionaires, for example from the Middle East and Africa”.

Even though people like Panu Huuhtanen have long had the status of provocateur in society, such characters easily become an instrument in the hands of the Russian secret services.

Only adequate countermeasures and communication can provide a clear response to Russia’s aggression inside European countries.