SRI, in cooperation with national and international partners, thwarted a sabotage operation coordinated by the Russian Federation on Romanian territory

September 08, 2026

SRI, in cooperation with the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT), MAI-DCCO (the Combating Organized Crime Directorate), MoND-DGIA (the Defense Intelligence General Directorate) and foreign partner agencies, has prevented an act of sabotage from being carried out on national territory, involving a Russian citizen residing in Romania.

Thus, starting in February 2026, the Russian citizen was under SRI surveillance, being the subject of an extensive investigation into attempted acts of diversion materialized through photo-video documentation of communications centers and national military bases used by NATO allies, headquarters of institutions within the National Defense, Public Order and National Security System, as well as critical infrastructure.

The obtained data indicates an operational pattern similar to that employed across European countries by networks of saboteurs coordinated by entities in the Russian Federation, including in cases thwarted in Romania in 2024 and 2025: the Russian citizen was instructed by an intermediary to capture photo-video material of objectives of strategic military interest, including Ukrainian ANTONOV cargo aircraft during their presence on national territory. Furthermore, the investigation has revealed that the Russian Federation continues to use individuals from vulnerable categories to carry out such illegal activities.

The specific actions taken by SRI, along with the measures ordered in coordination with Romanian authorities and foreign partners, led to the prevention of an act of sabotage on national territory.

SRI thanks all national and international partners involved in ensuring the security of Romania’s citizens.