Russia's transatlantic sabotage plot foiled by U.S. intel
Joe Biden and American intelligence have warned Vladimir Putin about the consequences of sabotage planned by Russians using explosive devices on airplanes on transatlantic routes, reports "The New York Times".
According to the newspaper, Russian services planned to place self-igniting courier packages on planes flying to the USA and Canada. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas emphasized that "the risk of catastrophic error was clear." American intelligence discovered that Russians were testing this method in the summer, during fires in hangars in Germany, the United Kingdom, and Poland.
President Biden directed his National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, and CIA Director, William Burns, to convey a warning to Putin's circle. Sullivan spoke with Putin's security advisor Yuri Ushakov, and Burns with the head of the Foreign Intelligence Service, Sergey Naryshkin, and the head of the Federal Security Service, Alexander Bortnikov.
Americans warned Russians that in the event of sabotage in U.S. airspace or territory, Moscow would be accused of terrorism. Officials from the Biden administration told the "NYT" that although an escalation between NATO and Russia was avoided, the Kremlin could still try to shift the burden of war from Ukraine to Europe, and even across the Atlantic.
Russian sabotage actions
The "New York Times" notes that before 2024, sabotage actions were not frequent, but their numbers have increased in the past year. The newspaper assessed that even if a ceasefire in Ukraine occurs, Russia may continue its efforts to destabilize the international status quo.
This incident also indicated that Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin maintain indirect communication channels, despite the lack of direct talks since 2022. "The New York Times" predicts that the freeze on communication will soon end. President-elect Donald Trump stated that Putin "wants to meet," although the Kremlin denies any formal talks have taken place.
