The reason I've mentioned the UK investigation is that they uncovered an elaborate multi hundred million dollar money laundering pipeline, including a bank that was bought by Russian mobsters, that was supporting and harvesting money out of fairly low level crime in the UK. It's not just sabotage operations and poisoning exiled dissidences that are readily understood to be part of espionage. Spies often work with criminals. Sometimes in unexpected ways.

I've been in touch with tech people in Eastern Europe. Grey zone warfare is very real in their countries.