Russia is reportedly facilitating the movement of migrants into Europe through underground tunnels as part of its ongoing hybrid conflict with the West, according to The Telegraph.
Polish officials claim that Belarus, a close Kremlin ally led by Alexander Lukashenko, has used Middle Eastern specialists with a “high level of expertise” to design and construct the tunnels. The tactic marks what is described as a new escalation in Moscow’s hybrid warfare against Europe, following previous efforts by Minsk to push tens of thousands of migrants across Poland’s eastern border.
Polish authorities stated that those involved in designing and digging the tunnels demonstrated significant technical expertise.
Meanwhile, Daniel Mitov, Bulgaria’s Interior Minister, alleged that Russian security services are assisting migrants in illegally entering the United Kingdom and other European countries.
“Illegal migration flows are an instrument for hostile regimes to destabilize the European Union and the United Kingdom. They aim to undermine welfare systems and, through the smuggling of radicalized individuals, create security challenges for us,” Mitov said.
He further claimed that certain non-governmental organizations in Europe may, perhaps unintentionally, be aiding Russia and human smuggling networks.
Mitov told The Times: “These are neo-Marxist groups trying to justify their actions through philosophical or ideological constructs. Essentially, the idea is to bring all the poor people from the world and allow them to settle here—absolute freedom of movement, the non-existence of borders, and so on.”
He added that some NGOs may unknowingly participate in operations linked to hostile states and criminal networks involved in illegal migration into EU and UK territory.
UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper also addressed the issue, stating:
“It is clear that illegal migration into Europe and beyond is being driven not only by organized crime networks seeking profit, but also by hostile state actors aiming to destabilize Europe.”
She described the threat as “real, growing, and very serious,” stressing the need to strengthen international cooperation. Cooper affirmed continued UK support for Bulgaria and NATO allies in securing Europe’s external borders, including through specialized equipment, intelligence sharing, and training to counter operations linked to the regime of Vladimir Putin.
