Russian spies are more aggressively trying to steal Western technology as sanctions add to mounting problems for Putin's wartime economy | Fortune

European intelligence officials describe a heightened Russian effort to steal Western technology as sanctions bite into Moscow’s wartime economy, with fake companies, middlemen, and cyber actors probing for advanced tools and dual-use tech. Sweden’s security agency notes a focus on defense-related capabilities and high-end research in areas such as aerospace, space, and naval tech, including components that could be repurposed for weapons. Finland’s SIS warns of ambitions in space, quantum, arctic, and marine technology, while UK signals intelligence accuses Russia of relentlessly targeting the U.K. and allies. Authorities cite arrests in Sweden linked to sanctions violations on metalworking machinery shipments to Russia and point to cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, including a Swedish power facility, illustrating the broader risk to Western security networks.