Russian spies used Cuban dance instructor to recruit temporary agents for EU arson attacks

Investigative reporting revealed that in 2024 a Cuban dance instructor associated with a Latin-American dance school in Russia acted on behalf of Russian intelligence services to organize a series of arson attacks in four EU countries. Operating under the aliases “Adrian” and “Dios,” he posted recruitment notices on Telegram in Russian and Spanish, promising $1,500 and per-mission bonuses for individuals with military experience to conduct sabotage in Poland, Romania, Lithuania and the Czech Republic.

Among those enlisted was 36-year-old Colombian Luis Alfonso Murillo, a former army soldier who had joined the Ukrainian army before being approached for “special missions” in Europe. He was later caught photographing a target, convicted in 2025 and sentenced to six years in prison. European intelligence agencies say the use of “one-time agents” makes it harder to trace sponsors and enables rapid sabotage without deploying trained officers.