Lights suddenly came on. Doors that had been closed opened while the occupant was away. Objects were moved. Someone used the toilet without flushing. The usual signs of a break-in were missing, and nothing had been stolen. The signs of someone entering the home were subtle - but they were there. They caused concern, confusion and distrust.
In Finland, up to 20 members of parliament have been targeted over a period of up to a year. MPs have been warned, security measures have been tightened, and Prime Minister Petteri Orpo says it is “very possible that a foreign power” is behind the incidents. According to Parliament Speaker Jussi Halla-aho, the vague traces left by the intruders may be intended to be noticed.
“Coming to you”
The incidents in the Helsinki area are now being investigated by police. The Finnish Security Police, the country’s equivalent of Säpo, has made a general statement saying that these are common methods in authoritarian states - but that it is not aware of them having been used against Finland or other European countries before.
To Jörgen Holmlund, a Swedish expert on security and psychological warfare, the methods sound familiar.
These various intrusions and deliberate traces are likely part of a conscious, systematic effort. The aim is to send the signal that “we can reach you even in your home,” he says.
Your parents then also start to think, and if there are children, there will be an increased degree of worry - as a result, you may no longer want to work as a politician.
The aim is psychological influence, according to Holmlund. In the case of the Finnish MPs, for example, it could be about showing that certain political decisions, such as support for Ukraine or increased sanctions, have consequences.
The message is “we don’t like what you do, we’re bothered by you”. They are working in a disinformation arena to influence - it’s not an active act of war, but it’s directed against elected officials in a very serious way. I think there is a great deal of understanding in Finland about who is behind it, how it works and what it aims to do.
Synchronized attack
Countries that engage in this type of psychological warfare and hybrid operations include Russia, China and Iran. Holmlund, who has a background at the Swedish Defence University and in the police, sees parallels with methods used by the Soviet security service, the KGB. He believes it is likely that Russia is behind the incidents.
Previously, it was the KGB that carried out these types of operations in other countries. In the case of Finland, I would guess that the Russian military intelligence service, the GRU, did it. If they had hired a local criminal, there would have been a risk that he would have botched it. This is a fairly synchronized attack that requires coordination.
East Germany’s security service, the Stasi, once carried out home invasions targeting students, opposition figures and cultural figures, but not in other countries, he points out.
Well-known “business cards”
Western diplomats and journalists who have worked in Russia have testified to individual incidents similar to those experienced by the Finnish MPs. Many of the traces left behind are familiar to them.
I think it’s a fairly common “Russian calling card” that someone has used the toilet and “forgot” to flush, says Holmlund.
John Sipher, a veteran of the US civilian intelligence service CIA, has told Helsingin Sanomat about harassment during his time serving in Moscow during the Cold War.
The supervisors often sent messages through intrusions into homes, Sipher said.
Unplugged cord
The refrigerator might be unplugged, pets poisoned and feces left in the toilet, Sipher said, according to Finnish outlet Verkkouutiset.
In addition to home invasions, an assistant to Defence Minister Jussi Niinistö (2015–2019) had his phone calls interrupted, his hotel room turned upside down without anything being taken, and “guests” who sat at the restaurant table next to his for a long time without eating anything.
Finland has Europe’s longest border with Russia, stretching more than 1,300 kilometers. Since Finland applied to join NATO in May 2022, shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, relations with its neighbor have been marked by concerns about hybrid attacks.
Since then, several cable breaks have occurred in the Gulf of Finland, which many experts believe are part of Russian hybrid warfare.
A number of migrants have also appeared at Finland’s eastern border. They are believed to have been actively smuggled there from Russia.
GPS interference affecting Finnish flights has also increased since 2022. Russia is suspected of being behind it, as reported by Yle, among others.