Budanov says Europe is waking up to the scale of Russia’s hybrid warfare

Published on 11/09/2026 at 7:45 GMT+2

Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, says European countries are beginning to recognise what Kyiv has long warned about: Russian aggression increasingly relies on hybrid warfare that extends far beyond the Baltic region.

“Central European states … see and feel the manifestations of Russian aggressive acts embodied in hybrid operations,” Budanov told Euronews on the sidelines of the Riga Conference on Thursday.

The former military intelligence chief said Russia follows a playbook that begins with “special information operations and propaganda” and escalates to “operations of a different nature,” including major incidents targeting defence industry facilities, airfields and railways.

“I hope that change is happening, and it will continue to happen, and that everybody understands now who we’re dealing with,” he said.

His remarks followed a recent warning from Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal that an arson attack on a defence contractor could be linked to Russia, although the incident remains under investigation.

The German government has also formally attributed an explosive-laden drone found at Leipzig airport to Russia.

Earlier in August, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul accused Moscow of carrying out a “long series of attempts at destabilisation, disinformation, threats, sabotage and aggression directed at Europe.”

CIA Director John Ratcliffe also recently made an unscheduled visit to Moscow while travelling through Riga, prompting speculation about the intelligence behind the trip and whether it signalled a threat to the Baltic states.

Estonia and Latvia said they would remain vigilant but had not changed their assessment of the Russian threat. Reports suggested Ratcliffe may also have challenged Moscow over its support for Iran amid tensions with the United States.

Asked whether Baltic countries were minimising the significance of Ratcliffe’s visit and other apparent warnings, Budanov said: “Baltic nations receive all the necessary information, and all the allies remain in constant information exchange on this matter.”

“This threat will remain a potential threat. You should keep in mind the experiences of our country,” he added.

During a panel discussion, Budanov said that “no one in the world has the kind of military experience that Ukraine — and Russia — have,” adding that Kyiv was prepared to share its expertise with European countries.

“If you don’t want to deal with Russia — deal with us,” he told the Riga Conference.

“The experience that we have is very expensive in terms of blood and money. So save your blood and save your money, and use our experience.”

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