NATO reports a sharp increase in the number of Russia's hybrid attacks
The North Atlantic Alliance notes a significant increase in the number, severity, and riskiness of hybrid attacks by the Russian Federation. Last year alone, more than 200 such incidents were recorded, not counting regular cyberattacks.
According to dpa, citing an unnamed representative of the Alliance in Brussels, NATO headquarters faces thousands of cyberattacks every month. However, in addition to virtual threats, the number of physical acts of sabotage is growing.
As an example, the official cited the discovery of a drone carrying explosives at the German airport Leipzig/Halle. The use of the professional explosive "Semtex" directly points to the involvement of Russian intelligence, since such materials are not available to randomly recruited perpetrators. NATO and the German government regard this incident as a hybrid attack, even though the device did not detonate.
The Alliance believes that the main goal of such actions by Russia is to undermine political and practical assistance to Ukraine, as well as to prepare for a possible further escalation of the conflict. To this end, the Russian side is conducting reconnaissance of European critical infrastructure, studying logistics chains, and implanting malicious software into industrial control systems.
