European investigators increasingly see Russian fingerprints around recent acts of suspected sabotage on strategic infrastructure but are struggling to respond.

       Reacting to clandestine threats is difficult because evidence around the suspected attacks—including a severed undersea gas pipeline, cuts in a vital internet connection and the disruption of a rail network—often isn’t conclusive. Potential culprits in big cases include commercial shipping or fishing vessels that have been engaged in apparently legitimate maritime transport or trawling for fish near sensitive seabed installations that were destroyed around the same time. They rarely have direct connections to Russian authorities, investigators say.

       Hi! You're reading a premium article! Subscribe now to continue reading Subscribe now Already subscribed? Login

       Premium benefits

       30+ articles from print edition and premium publication daily

       Present across social media apps to keep you updated

       In-depth Market Reports from leading experts

       Most loved Mint podcasts on 35+ topics

       Sharp insights supported by simple data and visuals

       Unlock 30+ well researched

       and bias free premium articles daily

       Access to global insights with

       100+ exclusive articles from

       international publications

       Get complimentary access to

       3+ investment based apps

       TRENDLYNE Get One Month GuruQ plan at Rs 1

       FINOLOGY Free finology subscription for 1 month.

       SMALLCASE 20% off on all smallcases

       5+ subscriber only newsletters

       specially curated by the experts

       Free access to e-paper and

       WhatsApp updates

       Not convinced yet?

       Share your contact details and

       we will get in touch with you…

       = 48 && event.charCode Confirm

       Thanks for sharing your number