STR: Suspicious Transaction Report How Russian Sabotage Is Financed and How to Disrupt It
Jan 23, 2026
Matthew Redhead, a specialist in illicit finance and hybrid warfare, and Tom Keatinge, an expert on finance and security policy, unpack how Russian sabotage is funded. They explore disposable operatives, social-media recruitment, crypto and stablecoin payments. Discussion highlights tracing repeat wallet patterns, OTC crypto risks and why financial intelligence is a key disruption tool.
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Shift To Disposable Operatives
- Sabotage in Europe has shifted from elite state operatives to disposable, low-skilled actors.
- This change increases scale and psychological impact while lowering operator tradecraft.
Reframe Sabotage As Covert Campaign
- Treat sabotage as a covert action campaign rather than isolated crime to change response scope.
- That reframing demands systemic disruption and strategic financial intelligence.
Gig‑Economy Recruitment Model
- Recruitment mirrors gig‑economy and money‑mule models using social media and messaging.
- Tasks range from surveillance for a few hundred euros to major attacks for several thousand.