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Source: Daily Mail
Europe is 'totally unprepared' for Russia's tactics of hybrid warfare, defence officials have warned amid mounting fear that Moscow is already sabotaging critical infrastructure on the continent in anticipation of a wider conflict.
Western leaders have accused Russia of sabotaging vital cables in the Baltic twice within 48 hours, after Biden relaxed rules on Ukraine firing long-range missiles into Russia and amid speculation Europe may follow suit.
But with both sides so far stopping short of engaging in direct conflict, defence sources have warned that the West is improperly prepared to thwart Moscow's efforts to destabilise by meddling in European affairs.
A former senior European official told the Guardian that the EU is 'totally unprepared' to confront Moscow in its campaign of 'hybrid' warfare, lacking the resources to effectively counter sabotage, arson, assassination and attacks on infrastructure.
They said Europe could expect more 'hybrid' attacks to unfold on the continent in the wake of the American decision to permit usage of long-range ATACMS missiles against targets deep inside Russia.
Russia has been accused of trying to destabilise the West and allies since the war in Ukraine began by allegedly 'weaponising mass migration' along its western border; sabotaging Nord Stream pipelines providing Europe with gas; influencing elections in Moldova and Georgia; jamming aircraft GPS; and even sending exploding sex toys to Western Europe.
Recent disruption to trade and energy, and foiled attacks on businesses supplying aid to Ukraine, have sparked fears that Europe remains woefully underequipped to combat Russia's unconventional strategies.
Most recently, the cutting of crucial underseas telecommunications cables in the Baltic Sea this week generated outrage and stark warnings about Russia's ability to allegedly interfere in European affairs.
A 135-mile internet link between Lithuania and Sweden's Gotland Island went out of service early on Sunday, according to a local supplier, before a 745-mile cable running from Helsinki to Rostock, Germany went offline early Monday morning.
Finland and Germany said in a joint statement that they were investigating 'an incident (that) immediately raises suspicions of intentional damage' before European ministers put together a joint statement blaming Russia on Tuesday.
UK and EU ministers said Russia's hybrid attacks were 'escalating' and 'unprecedented' in scale, posing security risks.
'We know that Russia has the capability and willingness to do sabotage in Europe,' Finnish Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen said, urging better protections for critical infrastructure.
'This is closer to terrorism, with the aim of intimidating the population and influencing decision-making, and affecting support for Ukraine, a senior European security official told the Guardian.
Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the US state department, said separately that Russia would be 'held accountable' for any further actions while condemning a wider trend of what he called 'hybrid warfare conducted by Russia both in Europe and around the world'.
Only last week a Russian spy ship had to be escorted out of Irish waters when it sailed close to underwater cables.
The Yantar vessel was found between Dublin and the Isle of Man on Friday, and has reportedly followed sub-sea cable routes over the years.
Britain has shadowed Russian naval vessels and reconnaissance planes around its own coastal waters and airspace for more than a year, believed to be straying nearby to test NATO reaction time, tactics, weapons and patterns by tempting interceptions.
British fighter jets pushed back Russian bombers in international airspace near Scotland in April last year. The planes are filled with communication and reconnaissance equipment to help pick out submarines.
Vlad Şutea, Founder and Lead Analyst at T-Intelligence, told MailOnline 'the Russian[s] are deliberately testing the RAF and NATO's overall QRA reaction (time and tactics) while also monitoring maritime movements.'
Russian ships in the North and Baltic Seas have caused increasing concern for NATO countries in the region, too. Belgium launched an investigation in early 2023 after a Russian spy ship off its North Sea coast was suspected of surveying key energy and communications links.
In July 2024, Finland said a Russian research vessel violated its territorial waters, shortly after it joined the NATO military alliance.
Russian vessels were systematically surveying critical infrastructure, including wind farms, pipelines, and cables in the North and Baltic Seas, according to a report by German broadcasters NDR, WDR and newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung.
'We consider the danger to be very real,' German intelligence chief Bruno Kahl told media. Moscow was 'accelerating its own preparations to be able to act militarily against the West', Kahl said.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said in October that Moscow was using 'hybrid means' to target Germany, adding: 'We see many, many examples, time and again.'
She cited drone activity around the new gas terminals, suggesting they were 'not there to observe the beautiful local landscape, but because there is a chemical park there and a... storage facility for nuclear waste nearby,'
According to German media reports, the reconnaissance was carried out by unmanned Russian military aircraft. Officials warned the scouting could be 'for the purposes of sabotage'.
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