NATO calls for calm amid Russian accusations of sabotage in Europe

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte called on Tuesday for “calm” in the face of Russia’s campaign of sabotage in Europe, saying that it fails to undermine support for Ukraine.

On Tuesday, Estonia became the latest country to officially accuse Russia of being behind a premeditated attack targeting a defense industries company in August. European governments confirm that Moscow is intensifying its campaign of sabotage and interference against countries that support Ukraine.

In turn, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, on Tuesday, in response to a question about Western accusations that Moscow is waging a war by all means against European countries, that Europe is the one waging a war against Russia. Lavrov told reporters: “I have no doubt that this is a war that Europe is waging against us,” referring to European arms supplies to Ukraine.

On Tuesday, the European Union expressed its “full solidarity” with Estonia after it accused Russia of being behind an act of sabotage targeting a defense company that manufactures drones. European Commission spokesman Christian Wiegand said: “Russia is intensifying its attacks near our borders, and direct threats targeting our territory have become more frequent (...) In this way, Moscow seeks to intimidate Europe and push it to reduce its support for Ukraine, but that will not happen.”

French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday denounced a dangerous attempt by Moscow to “escape forward,” after Estonia accused Russia of being behind a sabotage attack targeting an Estonian defense company, which the Kremlin denied.

In a post on the “X” platform, Macron expressed his “full” solidarity with Estonia, noting that the increase in attacks attributed to Moscow in European countries, after a drone attack on Leipzig Airport in Germany, “reflects a dangerous Russian approach characterized by escalation and escaping forward into a dead end that will only deepen its isolation.” He added: “Russia must realize that it will not succeed in undermining our unity or our determination to continue supporting Ukraine.”

“Russia continues its reckless campaign of hostilities against NATO member states,” Rutte told reporters. “It is trying to weaken our resolve and stop our support for Ukraine, but it is failing....” He added: “It is failing on the battlefield in Ukraine, and it is failing to undermine our unity and support for Ukraine.”

On Tuesday, Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsakhkna accused Russian intelligence services of being behind an arson attack targeting the defense industries company Milrem Robotics in the capital, Tallinn, in August.

Tsakhkna wrote on the “X” platform: “We can confirm that the arson attack (...) in Tallinn was an act of sabotage carried out on the orders of the Russian intelligence services.”

On the other hand, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, in response to a question from Agence France-Presse, that “these statements are baseless, lack deliberation and logic, and have no connection to reality, and therefore we cannot deal with them seriously, and we will not do so.”

The attack in Estonia came shortly after a drone loaded with explosives was found at Leipzig Airport in Germany, in an incident that Berlin held Moscow responsible for.

Rutte acknowledged that Russian activities “may leave an impact, and they do leave an impact sometimes, and this is clear.” But he called on NATO countries to “remain calm and continue working and supporting Ukraine.” He added: “We must not be naive (...) in dealing with Russia, but they know that we are stronger.”

For his part, Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sienkevicius, who was speaking alongside Rutte, said that intelligence services had no evidence that Moscow was preparing to carry out a larger imminent move.

He added: “It is necessary to inform society of the existence of a threat when it exists, but it is not permissible to exaggerate and say that something will happen in the coming months or weeks.”

On the other hand, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Monday to increase the strength of the Russian army by 15,500 soldiers, in the fourth such decision he issued this year. The decision came at a time when both Russia and Ukraine are suffering increasing human losses, more than four and a half years after the outbreak of war between them.

The text of the decree stated: “The official number of members of the Russian Armed Forces is set at 2,441,630 individuals, including 1,550,500 military personnel.” Putin issued similar decrees to increase the size of the army in March, June, and July, bringing the total increase since last March to 47,860 soldiers.

Ukraine has repeatedly accused Russia of preparing for a new military mobilization, accusations that Putin described as “misinformation” coming from Kiev. Putin last ordered a “partial mobilization” of reserve elements in 2022, following a series of military defeats suffered by Russian forces on the Ukrainian front.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday that there are more than 8,000 North Korean soldiers on Russian territory, and that preparations are underway to deploy 10,000 additional soldiers. Zelensky referred to “new data” about the deployment of North Korean forces in Russia, saying in a post on the “X” platform that the forces “are being selected for training and later deployment in Russia.”

Zelensky had said in August that up to 50,000 North Korean soldiers might be sent to fight alongside Russia, and called on South Korea to provide air defense support to Ukraine. In July, Seoul announced an aid package worth $100 million to Kiev, but excluded lethal weapons from it.

Zelensky's statements came after a dispute between Seoul and Kiev due to his announcement last week that Ukraine had transferred two captured North Korean soldiers to South Korea. Seoul expressed its regret over this announcement, noting an agreement to keep the transfer process confidential.

According to estimates from Kiev and Seoul, North Korea has sent between 14,000 and 15,000 troops to support Russia's war in Ukraine since 2024, most of them deployed in the Kursk region to help repel a Ukrainian incursion. Ukrainian and independent assessments indicate that Pyongyang has provided Russia with millions of artillery shells and mortar shells, in addition to ballistic missiles, long-range artillery systems, and multiple missile launch systems.

Several powerful explosions were heard in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, at dawn on Tuesday, while air defense systems were activated during an air raid warning, according to what Agence France-Presse reported. The Ukrainian Air Force warned on its Telegram channel that “new ballistic missiles are heading towards Kiev.” The new Ukrainian Defense Minister, Yevgeny Khmara, canceled a visit scheduled for Tuesday to Berlin. Due to the “escalation of Russian attacks” on Ukraine, according to what a source in his ministry said. Khamara was scheduled to meet his German counterpart, Boris Pistorius, in light of Ukraine's relentless pursuit of additional financial and military assistance from its allies in the face of the escalation of Russian attacks with drones and missiles on its territory. Khmara also canceled a similar visit to Norway.

A source in his ministry said: “Yevgeny Khmara postponed two visits to Germany and Norway this week. “Given the situation in Ukraine and the escalation of Russian attacks, which requires an immediate response and acceleration of all retaliatory measures.” The source added: “Discussions will be held with our partners through other channels, and we are grateful for their support.”

For weeks, Kiev has been subjected to Russian missile and drone attacks, which targeted residential buildings, warehouses, and gas stations, while recent strikes targeted data centers and telecommunications companies.

The authorities reported that the Academy of Sciences was damaged in a strike on Monday. As a result, at least one person was killed and others were injured.

The Ukrainian Air Force announced, in a statement via the Telegram application, on Tuesday, that the air defense forces shot down one Zircon or Onyx anti-ship missile, two Iskander-M or S-400 ballistic missiles, and 106 out of 212 drones launched by Russia during an attack on Ukraine overnight.

The statement said that Russian forces launched an attack on Ukraine, during the night, using an anti-ship missile, “Zircon” or “Onyx,” launched from the Russian Kursk province, and two “Iskander-M” or “S-400” ballistic missiles that were also launched from the Kursk province.

On Tuesday, uncertainty hung over the British investigation into a plot to bomb an air base used by American forces, after media reported that no explosives were found in vehicles seized near the base.

The British authorities' release on bail of 5 citizens who were arrested on suspicion of planning to target the Fairford base sparked sharp criticism from Washington.

On Sunday, 3 white pickup trucks were found near the base, while the police arrested the 5 men. They are Britons in their mid-twenties and all reside in London.

On Tuesday, armed police officers were seen patrolling the vicinity of the air base used by American planes to bomb some targets in Iran.

The police confirmed that its officers conducted an extensive examination of the vehicles with the help of military means and forensic experts, but did not reveal the results of the examination. However, the Times newspaper and other British media reported that the police did not find any traces of explosives. This alleviated fears that an attack might be thwarted, but left many questions unanswered.

Patricia said; The 60-year-old resident of the neighboring village of Kempsford told Agence France-Presse: “It is very embarrassing for people around the world to believe that it was a terrorist attack, only for it to turn out in the end that this was not the case, and that it was just futile noise.”

The head of the British police's anti-terrorism unit, Lawrence Taylor, announced on Monday the release of the five suspects, stressing that they "are definitely still under investigation."

For its part, the Iranian embassy in London announced that it “categorically rejects and strongly condemns” speculation about Tehran’s involvement in the case.

“Dangerous situation”

US President Donald Trump increased the ambiguity surrounding the issue. He expressed to reporters on Monday his “surprise” at the British police’s decision to release the five men, adding: “If I were in their place, I would not do that.” In response to a question about the possibility of Iran’s involvement, Trump said: “It is possible,” without adding further details.

Hours later, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the incident as a “very dangerous situation.” He said on Fox News: “It is clear that a foreign party is involved” in the case, refusing to provide any additional details or clarifications.

Last March, Britain allowed the United States to use the Fairford base to carry out “specific defensive operations against Iran,” with the aim of destroying Iranian missiles at their launch sites.

Since then, other American bombers and aircraft have been seen taking off and landing at the base, which is the only base on the British mainland used by American forces for this purpose.

Last July, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard warned that any base used to launch attacks on Iran would be considered a “legitimate target.”

The mystery surrounding this incident led to the emergence of various hypotheses that have not been verified. Some media outlets reported allegations that the five men may have been fuel thieves.

A resident of the nearby village of Kempsford told Agence France-Presse while she was working in her garden: “It is a bit strange that they are here in the middle of the night.” She added, requesting that her name not be revealed: “If they were really terrorists, the authorities would not have released them.”

Aerial footage of the three trucks that raised suspicions showed that they contained what appeared to be barrels, while at least one of them bore a fake logo and phone number, suggesting that it belonged to a real diesel fuel delivery company.

In a statement published on its website, the company in question, Fuel2U, denied any connection to the vehicle or the people involved in the accident. She said, “The vehicle and the people involved have absolutely no relationship with the Fuel2U company,” confirming its cooperation with the police.

London had previously accused Iran and Russia of using intermediaries to carry out criminal activities on British soil.