The number of Russian hybrid attacks in Europe has increased rapidly since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Energy, transport and communications remain the main targets.
Points of attention
- Russia has significantly increased hybrid attacks in Europe, targeting energy, transport, and communications sectors.
- Over 200 incidents have been documented between 2014 and 2024, with a notable rise in attacks after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
- The main objective of Russian special operations is to weaken European solidarity and support for Ukraine by provoking internal problems in various countries.
Russia has scaled up special operations in Europe
It is noted that over 200 incidents have been documented between 2014 and 2024, ranging from sabotage and disinformation to cyberattacks and GPS jamming. Over 86% occurred after 2022, with 2024 alone being six times more than the previous year.
Since the beginning of this year, attacks on underwater cables and water supply facilities have been recorded, as well as attempts to influence air traffic in the territory of the European Union countries.
The activity of Russian agents, the intelligence community notes, is systemic. On average, 20 countries were attacked annually in 2022-2024.
The most frequently attacked countries are those that actively support Ukraine, including Poland, the Baltic countries, Finland, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Norway.
The Russian Federation is conducting such operations in order to weaken European solidarity and reduce support for Kyiv by provoking internal problems.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt stated that Russia continues to intensify subversive activities in Germany, involving "non-professionals", in particular Ukrainians who are on the territory of the Federal Republic.
