Russia is accused of sending spies to break into Finnish MPs' homes and defecate in their toilets
From the Newshound archive · first published 6 October 2026 · last updated 7 October 2026.
At least 20 Finnish MPs have flagged unexplained break-ins at their residences, in one case discovering faeces in the bathroom, in what senior politicians believe is a Russian intelligence campaign to intimidate lawmakers over Finland's NATO membership. Parliamentary Speaker Jussi Halla-aho has launched an investigation into what he called a 'significant' number of suspected intrusions. Ben Zyskowicz, a senior MP from Finland's ruling National Coalition Party, said the tactic is designed to signal that politicians are being watched. Finnish police and the National Bureau of Investigation are conducting a preliminary inquiry, but no perpetrator has yet been identified.
No forced entry was detected and nothing was stolen — agents reportedly moved belongings and opened windows to signal they had been inside.
The tactic is a documented Soviet-era technique; former BBC Russia correspondent Sarah Rainsford described in her memoir how spies entered her Moscow home and left a 'large unflushed deposit in each toilet.'
Russia has ramped up hybrid warfare operations against Finland since it joined NATO in 2023, nearly doubling Moscow's land border with the alliance.