Russian unit seeks to destabilize Europe, security officials say

First came a destabilization campaign in Moldova, followed by the poisoning of an arms dealer in Bulgaria, and then a thwarted coup in Montenegro.

Last year, there was an attempt to assassinate a former Russian spy in Britain using a nerve agent. Though the operations bore the fingerprints of Russia’s intelligence services, authorities initially saw them as isolated, unconnected attacks.

Western security officials have now concluded that these operations, and potentially many others, are part of a coordinated and ongoing campaign to destabilize Europe, executed by an elite unit inside the Russian intelligence system skilled in subversion, sabotage, and assassination.

The group, known as Unit 29155, has operated for at least a decade, yet Western officials only recently discovered it.

The purpose of Unit 29155, which has not been previously reported, underscores the degree to which Russian President Vladimir Putin is fighting the West with his brand of so-called hybrid warfare — a blend of propaganda, hacking attacks, and disinformation — as well as open military confrontation.

In a text message, Dmitry Peskov, Putin’s spokesman, directed questions about the unit to the Russian Defense Ministry. The ministry did not respond to requests for comments.

Officers from Unit 29155 travel to and from European countries. Some are decorated veterans of Russia’s bloodiest wars, including in Afghanistan, Chechnya, and Ukraine.

Speaking to reporters in February at the Munich Security Conference, Alex Younger, the chief of MI6, Britain’s foreign-intelligence service, spoke out against the growing Russian threat and hinted at coordination, without mentioning a specific unit.

“You can see there is a concerted program of activity — and, yes, it does often involve the same people,” Younger said. He added: “We assess there is a standing threat from ... Russian intelligence services and that very little is off limits.”

A retired Russian intelligence officer with knowledge of Unit 29155 said that it specialized in preparing for “diversionary” missions, “in groups or individually — bombings, murders, anything.”

“They were serious guys who served there,” the retired officer said. “They were officers who worked undercover and as international agents.”