US and Europe See Putin Reining In Russia’s Unruly Hybrid War

US and European officials say they’re seeing a decline in suspected Russian state-backed sabotage acts this year, evidence that President Vladimir Putin’s security services may be reining in a hybrid warfare campaign that’s been blamed for attacks across Europe.

The drop-off in operations, which have involved Russian intelligence agents paying proxies to target civilian infrastructure and individuals, has been attributed to a range of factors, according to the officials, who asked not to be identified discussing sensitive issues. A leading explanation is that Moscow may be tightening its grip on attacks entrusted to unreliable local criminals, some of which had got out of control and risked a major miscalculation, the people said.