Lessons from Latvia: How to deal with Russian hybrid threats
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Drones violate Moldovan and Romanian airspace
Moldova recorded four drones entering its airspace this week, with two exploding on Moldovan territory. Debris from a third drone was also recovered, prompting a temporary closure of the country’s northern airspace. Two drones also breached Romanian airspace, one of which crashed near the northern town of Solca, leading to the shutdown of a nearby border crossing with Ukraine. NATO aircraft were scrambled in the vicinity of the Danube Delta.
Scrambling of NATO aircraft in response to Russian air operations over Ukraine has become a regular occurrence.
In Poland, NATO fighter jets were scrambled twice after Russian aircraft approached the Ukrainian border. Two Polish border crossings were evacuated following a fire at a Starlink ground station near the village of Wola Krobowska, about 40 km south of Warsaw, on Wednesday night. The facility routes internet traffic from Poland to Ukraine. On the same day, a Russian Mi‑8 helicopter violated Polish airspace for 42 seconds, according to the Polish military.
Polish Prime Minister Tusk says Europe needs to prepare
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned bluntly in Krakow on Thursday that Russia was refining its “disgusting forms of pressure” and that Poland must be prepared for them. He noted that President Vladimir Putin “wants to exhaust Ukraine by destroying its industrial and energy infrastructure, but he also wants to exhaust Europe.” Tusk added that the fire at the Starlink station may have been deliberate and recalled an earlier warning to the Polish parliament about possible Russian drone and missile attacks against supporters of Ukraine.
Moldovan President Maia Sandu also reacted strongly, declaring Russia’s war a danger to all of Europe and reaffirming Moldova’s support for Ukraine.
Attacks on western Europe from the Mediterranean?
Growing speculation suggests that Russia could extend its campaign to Western Europe. The Spanish newspaper El Mundo reported a CIA assessment warning of possible drone attacks on Italy, France and Spain, launched from international waters in the Mediterranean and from Russia’s shadow fleet. French President Emmanuel Macron said France had not been informed by the CIA but called the scenario “plausible.”
At a press conference in Denmark on Thursday, politicians and military officials warned that Russia is expected to intensify its hybrid war against the West and NATO in the coming months. “The situation is currently the most serious since the end of the Cold War,” said Danish Defence Minister Jeppe Bruus.
