EDITOR'S CORNER: Russian Sabotage in Europe

There’s been a lot of chatter lately about Trump and his tariffs. That’s pretty much the core strategy of the Trump era—grab as many headlines as possible, then constantly shift the narrative. It’s the classic “flood the zone” move. And while the tariff debate is certainly important, we can’t lose sight of the broader picture: we’re living in a world filled with uncertainty and real threats.

One threat that hasn’t gone away is Russia—and it remains the biggest danger facing Europe. In this blog post, I want to turn the spotlight on Russia’s sabotage operations across the continent.

WE ARE AT WAR, WE ARE JUST NOT SAYING IT

Some experts believe that Europe is already at war with Russia. Our governments just don’t want to admit it, because acknowledging it would open a door to a dark and dangerous path—one that most politicians would rather avoid. So instead, we call it hybrid influence, scare tactics, sabotage—anything but war.

It’s an interesting idea. Personally, I agree—we are already at war with Russia. That much is obvious. However, I don’t think we should equate hybrid tactics with a full-scale kinetic war. They’re not the same.

What we’re witnessing in Europe right now is a systematic, Kremlin-sanctioned campaign of sabotage and disinformation. What do I mean by that? I mean that Russia is flooding the (social) media space with lies, misinformation, and disinformation, all designed to stoke anxiety and create discord among European populations.

On top of that, they’re meddling in European elections—typically backing right-wing candidates—to further divide societies and deepen distrust in democratic institutions. And beyond the information war, there are also acts of physical sabotage targeting infrastructure and, in some cases, putting lives at risk.

INFORMATION OPERATIONS

The first thing we should focus on is the ongoing information operations sweeping across Europe and the West. This isn’t a new phenomenon—it’s been part of the Russian (and previously Soviet) playbook for decades. The Soviet Union perfected these tactics early on, with one of the most infamous examples being Operation Denver (also known as Operation INFEKTION), a disinformation campaign designed to sow chaos and distrust in the West. That same strategy continues today—modernized, digitized, and more aggressive than ever.

In 2016, the Internet Research Agency gained international notoriety as a Russian troll farm interfering in the U.S. presidential election. Fast forward to 2024 and 2025, and we’re seeing the same playbook unfold again. Russia has been accused of meddling in the 2024 American elections, as well as presidential elections in Moldova, Georgia, and even Romania. The goal isn't necessarily to sway the outcome decisively, but to undermine trust in the electoral process itself—to plant seeds of doubt, polarize voters, and erode the foundations of democracy. 

But it's not just about elections. These campaigns are designed to be relentless, targeting everything from vaccine misinformation to fabricated stories about migrant violence—anything that can stir social unrest and weaken unity. Russia exploits existing societal tensions and amplifies them with the precision of a psychological operation. The Kremlin doesn’t need to convince people of one specific truth—it just needs to confuse, distract, and exhaust them. And in many parts of Europe, it’s working. People are increasingly distrustful of media, institutions, and each other. That’s not an accident. It’s strategy.

Let’s be clear: this is not just trolling. It’s state-backed information warfare, and the front lines are our phones, our feeds, and our minds. If we don’t start treating it with the seriousness it deserves, we’ll keep losing ground without even realizing there’s a battlefield.

SABOTAGE AROUND EUROPE

All across Europe, we've witnessed a series of strange and unsettling incidents—some linked to the Kremlin, others shrouded in ambiguity. These range from fires at ammunition depots and weapons factories to the unexpected arson of an IKEA store in Lithuania. In Finland, there were alarming reports last year of break-ins at water towers and pumping stations, raising concerns about the security of critical infrastructure.

Rheinmetall's CEO, Armin Papperger, was reportedly the target of an assassination attempt—believed to be part of broader sabotage operations unfolding across the continent. These efforts seem calculated, aimed at undermining both morale and military readiness as Europe ramps up support for Ukraine.

Perhaps most notoriously, we've seen the repeated targeting of Baltic Sea infrastructure, particularly undersea data and energy cables. These attacks, often carried out with stealth and precision, disrupt communication lines and stoke geopolitical tension between NATO and Russia. It's clear that hybrid warfare—cyber operations, physical sabotage, and disinformation—is becoming the new battleground.

Security services across the EU are now on high alert, working to map out a pattern and establish accountability. While definitive proof is often elusive, the consistency and coordination of these incidents suggest a broader strategic campaign at play—one that blends Cold War-era espionage tactics with modern asymmetric warfare.

CONCLUSION

The uncomfortable truth is that we are already in the midst of a slow-burning, undeclared war—one fought not with tanks on borders, but with invisible hands pulling strings behind the scenes. Russia is waging a campaign of destabilization, not through brute force, but through precision strikes on our confidence, our unity, and our infrastructure. This is the warfare of the 21st century, and it’s already here.

The question now isn’t whether the threat is real—it is. The question is whether Europe will finally stop treating these attacks as isolated incidents or inconvenient political distractions. We must recognize this conflict for what it is, strengthen our resilience, and act with the clarity and coordination it demands. Because if we keep pretending we’re not under attack, we may wake up one day to find we’ve already lost.