Romanian Intelligence Service prevented Russia-backed sabotage attempt

The Romanian Intelligence Service, or SRI, said it prevented a sabotage operation planned in a way “specific to the Russian services” in the summer of 2024.

The sabotage attempt happened in July-August 2024, and SRI managed to prevent its execution by identifying the perpetrator, a Colombian citizen, just before he could act. The man, Luis Alfonso Murillo Diosa, acted on behalf of Russia and came to Romania to carry out acts of sabotage. He was detained by DIICOT prosecutors and was sent to trial on charges of crimes against national security.

SRI said that Diosa was part of an extensive network of saboteurs targeting European countries, controlled via intermediaries by Russian intelligence services.

"The information obtained by SRI and swiftly shared with the Ministry of Internal Affairs allowed his detention on July 30, 2024, while he was documenting in detail the area around a recycling materials depot in the city of Bragadiru, located near several objectives that could be classified as critical infrastructure (oil extraction wells, gas pipelines, or telecommunications towers)," SRI specified in a press release.

The agency noted that the operating method was “specific to Russian services.” The organizer and the recruiter made and prepaid the travel and accommodation reservations and indicated (via encrypted applications) the mission type, destination, and targets. The saboteur, in turn, was instructed to communicate periodically and personally document the entire cycle of activities he was to carry out, sending images with specific landmarks to confirm that he was acting in accordance with the instructions.

However, the alleged Russian recruiters were misled after a fire caused by a short circuit occurred in Bragadiru, Teleorman county, on August 1, 2024. Russian Telegram channels falsely presented an operation allegedly targeting the location in Bragadiru, Ilfov county. The action was attributed to a Ukrainian resistance group that allegedly destroyed a "logistics center where fuel intended for Ukraine was stored" through arson. These claims were refuted at the time through official statements issued by Romanian authorities.

DIICOT prosecutors announced on December 4 that they had sent to trial a Colombian citizen who was preparing acts of sabotage on Romanian territory at the instigation of a resident in Russia. The investigations further revealed that the defendant had undergone military training in the armed forces of his home country, being trained in intelligence-gathering activities.