Ukraine’s recent attack inside Russia using US-made missiles has raised fears of Russian retaliation through “hybrid warfare”. According to a report in The Guardian, this strategy combines cyberattacks, sabotage, disinformation, and even physical violence to destabilize opponents.
The hybrid war aims to create disruption, interfere with military supplies, and put pressure on Ukraine’s allies by blurring traditional battle lines. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte emphasized how Moscow is increasingly using these strategies to escalate tensions from Ukraine to Europe and beyond.
The news report further noted that in the past, Russia has been linked to sabotage efforts, election-related disinformation campaigns, and hacking campaigns. Cyberattacks off Estonia and drone-related arrests close to critical infrastructure in Norway are examples of incidents. Global security is complicated by hybrid warfare.
“What is new about the attacks seen in recent years is their speed, scale and intensity, facilitated by rapid technological change and global interconnectivity,” NATO said in June. “Counter-hybrid support teams” would provide assistance, but it was largely up to individual countries to decide how to protect themselves.
Emerging signs of hybrid war in the North and Baltic Sea
In April, Estonia and other Baltic states warned that widespread GPS jamming increased the risk of aviation accidents. Estonia said the disruption in location services was to blame for Russian “hybrid activity” in the region.
The disruption caused Finnish carrier Finnair to suspend flights to the Estonian city of Tartu, near the Russian border. Airline pilots had seen an increase in interference from 2022, including over airspace close to Russia’s Kaliningrad region on the Baltic Sea.
border trouble
Russia has also caused concern by initiating disputes over borders in the Baltic Sea. Moscow published a proposal this year showing it planned to unilaterally change its maritime borders with Finland and Lithuania from 2025.
In May, Russian border guards removed a buoy from the Narva River that marks the border with Estonia, Tallinn officials said. Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said the disappearance of the markers was part of a “wider pattern” of Moscow using “border-related devices to create fear and anxiety”.
(With inputs from AFP)
