Cuban dance teacher ordered EU sabotage attacks from Russia
9 hours ago
- A Cuban dance teacher, Oemis Romagoza Durruthy, operated under the alias 'Dios' to recruit vulnerable individuals via social media for Russian sabotage operations in at least four EU countries.
- Recruits, often from Spanish-speaking countries, were offered money for tasks like arson and surveillance, with many unaware of their employers' identities.
- The sabotage campaign included arson attacks on businesses in Poland, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, and Romania, with Lithuanian prosecutors linking the attacks to Russia's GRU.
- Romagoza, now a Russian citizen, built his network quickly after Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, exploiting the expulsion of Russian diplomats to fill a gap in Russia's sabotage capabilities.
- At least nine of his recruits were caught, with some sentenced to prison or awaiting trial; European authorities continue to seek Romagoza, who remains in Russia.