Dozens of attacks in Europe can be attributed to Russia and its proxies since the start of the war in Ukraine over three years ago, data analyzed by the Associated Press news agency shows.
AP has documented 59 incidents that have been officially blamed on an extension of the Kremlin’s war efforts commonly dubbed ‘hybrid-war’ tactics. The events recorded range from the dissemination of propaganda and disinformation to cyberattacks and acts of sabotage, as well as murder plots and espionage, AP reported.
The operations, described by the head of Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service as a “staggeringly reckless campaign,” have involved the hacking of politicians and critical infrastructure, acts of arson, and a plot to plant explosives on cargo planes, AP said.
A NATO official cited by AP said the campaign’s aims are twofold—to cause “political disquiet” and to “undercut support for Ukraine” with attacks focusing on countries that give most support to Kyiv.
A series of apparent sabotage operations in the Baltic Sea has been attributed to a ‘shadow fleet’ of ships used by Russia to circumvent sanctions. On land, Estonia, Poland, Latvia and Finland have all accused Russia and its ally Belarus of orchestrating migration emergencies at their borders. Major fires in the Lithuanian and Polish capitals have also been publicly linked to Russia.
In a separate investigation, researchers for the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), an alliance of public media organizations, infiltrated a hacking group linked to Moscow. A member of the EBU Investigative Journalism Network gained access to a private hacking group and, after gaining their trust, was assigned tasks ranging from posting anti-Western stickers around Brussels to gathering information on individuals and organizations.
The EBU reported that the group was behind cyberattacks on infrastructure targets in EU and NATO countries as part of a wider network of ‘hacktivists’ that is becoming increasingly active.
The EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, has described the threat as “the war that is going on in the shadows.”
“We use the term hybrid threats, or hybrid war, but what is important is to understand that these kinds of attacks against us are on the rise, and not just in those countries which are bordering Russia, but in the whole of Europe,” the EBU quoted Kallas as saying.
The EBU wrote that Russian intelligence agencies have taken to recruiting “disposable” agents through acts like Telegram to perform “low-level” operations.
This strategy makes attributing responsibility for attacks problematic, however the Czech Republic’s foreign minister, Jan Lipavský, was cited by the EBU as giving a concrete number of Moscow-linked hostile acts. He said of 500 recorded suspicious incidents, the blame had been put on Moscow for 100. He added that the attacks are continuing and “increasing in intensity.”
The operations, described by the head of Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service as a “staggeringly reckless campaign,” have involved the hacking of politicians and critical infrastructure, acts of arson, and a plot to plant explosives on cargo planes, AP said.
A NATO official cited by AP said the campaign’s aims are twofold—to cause “political disquiet” and to “undercut support for Ukraine” with attacks focusing on countries that give most support to Kyiv.
A series of apparent sabotage operations in the Baltic Sea has been attributed to a ‘shadow fleet’ of ships used by Russia to circumvent sanctions. On land, Estonia, Poland, Latvia and Finland have all accused Russia and its ally Belarus of orchestrating migration emergencies at their borders. Major fires in the Lithuanian and Polish capitals have also been publicly linked to Russia.
A Kremlin spokesman contacted by AP rejected all allegations, saying the Russian government had never been shown any proof of its involvement.Senator @JohnCornyn asked @TulsiGabbard in Senate Intelligence Committee if @AP reporting documenting at least 59 Russian attacks across Europe is consistent with her information.
— Emma Burrows (@EJ_Burrows) March 25, 2025
Gabbard said US is assessing the Russian sabotage threat.
Sabotage map👇https://t.co/VKTvxp8Fer
A hacking network
In a separate investigation, researchers for the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), an alliance of public media organizations, infiltrated a hacking group linked to Moscow. A member of the EBU Investigative Journalism Network gained access to a private hacking group and, after gaining their trust, was assigned tasks ranging from posting anti-Western stickers around Brussels to gathering information on individuals and organizations.
The EBU reported that the group was behind cyberattacks on infrastructure targets in EU and NATO countries as part of a wider network of ‘hacktivists’ that is becoming increasingly active.
The EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, has described the threat as “the war that is going on in the shadows.”
“We use the term hybrid threats, or hybrid war, but what is important is to understand that these kinds of attacks against us are on the rise, and not just in those countries which are bordering Russia, but in the whole of Europe,” the EBU quoted Kallas as saying.
The EBU wrote that Russian intelligence agencies have taken to recruiting “disposable” agents through acts like Telegram to perform “low-level” operations.
This strategy makes attributing responsibility for attacks problematic, however the Czech Republic’s foreign minister, Jan Lipavský, was cited by the EBU as giving a concrete number of Moscow-linked hostile acts. He said of 500 recorded suspicious incidents, the blame had been put on Moscow for 100. He added that the attacks are continuing and “increasing in intensity.”
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