Russia Intensifies Efforts to Acquire Western Dual-Use Technology Amid Sanctions

Russia’s intelligence agencies have grown more aggressive in efforts to steal Western technology and defense secrets, three senior European intelligence officials told The Associated Press. Moscow’s agents are building fake companies, recruiting middlemen and deploying cyber spies and hackers, the officials said.

Four years of international sanctions have hampered Moscow’s ability to procure machinery, technology and research from Europe.

Christoffer Wedelin, deputy head of operations at the Swedish Security Service, said Russia is putting serious effort into acquiring advanced machine tools, factory equipment, research and dual-use technology. In Sweden, Russia is targeting the defense industry and high-end research on the Gripen fighter jet, he said.

Russia is also trying to procure camera and laser technology developed for civilian purposes that could be integrated into Russian weapons systems, Wedelin said.

Juha Martelius, director of Finland’s Security and Intelligence Service, said Russia is trying to steal space technology, quantum technology, arctic technology and marine technology. Space technology is something Russia needs right now, Martelius said. Russia also needs sanctioned computer technology and software updates for machine tools, he said.

U.K. and its European allies by stealing technology and plotting sabotage and assassination attempts. She delivered the remarks in her inaugural annual lecture in Bletchley, England.

In May 2026, Swedish police arrested two people on suspicion of violating sanctions relating to a company in Turkey that made dozens of shipments of metalworking and metal-turning machine tools to Russia. Christoffer Wedelin said all of the security and intelligence services in Russia are helping the state’s efforts to acquire technology.

Moscow is also deploying cyberattacks against European firms and critical infrastructure, he said.

Russia deployed a cyberattack against a Swedish power plant in 2025. Russia-linked actors tried to destroy the plant but the intrusion was detected and failed, Wedelin said. The attack was partly aimed at undermining Western support for Ukraine, he said.

The incident marked a switch in Russia’s modus operandi because they no longer care as much about attribution and are taking greater risks, Wedelin said. Kaupo Rosin, head of Estonia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, said Russia’s economy is not doing well at all. About one third of Russia’s gross domestic product currently goes to the war effort, Martelius said.

9 billion) by the end of February, Rosin said. The Iran war erupted on February 28, 2026. S.

Has granted sanctions waivers for the sale of Russian oil. K. watered down its sanctions in an attempt to lower global fuel costs. Increased revenue since then has likely improved Russia’s budget, but it does not save them, Rosin said.

Anne Keast-Butler said almost 500,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in Ukraine since the full-scale invasion in 2022. Russian President Vladimir Putin attended a meeting with senior military officers and Defense Minister Andrei Belousov on December 29, 2025.