Russia is taking deliberate action to destabilize Europe, to weaken NATO countries’ military infrastructure and reduce their support for Ukraine. Hybrid attacks (cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns, espionage, and acts of sabotage) are used for this purpose — Polskie nowiny.
Recent incidents in Germany are the best example of such actions. For example, on August 13, 2024, the drinking water showed anomalies at the Bundeswehr’ Cologne-Wahn military base, leading to suspicions of sabotage. Several base personnel complained about poisoning symptoms, and a hole in the fence was detected there, indicating possible illegal entry. The military base was sealed off for investigation.
The next day, on August 14, 2024, security levels were raised at the military base in Geilenkirchen due to suspicions of possible water contamination. These two incidents, which happened within a short period of time, have only heightened suspicions about a coordinated sabotage aimed at undermining the combat capability and unity of NATO countries.
Bundestag members Markus Faber and Konstantin von Notz believes that the incidents at two military bases in Germany can be the result of a Russian sabotage operation.
“Given the temporal proximity of the incidents in the two barracks, one can assume that a hostile actor is attempting to demonstrate their sabotage capabilities here. The actor with the greatest interest is Putin,” Faber said.
Similar views were expressed by head of Parliamentary Control Committee in the Bundestag, Konstantin von Notz (the Green Party).
Russian hybrid warfare poses a serious threat to the international community. German authorities have expressed concern that Russia could use acts of sabotage to divert resources and attention from Ukraine, as a part of a broader Kremlin’s strategy to weaken Western allies and their support for Kyiv.
Russia is also actively using other destabilization methods in various countries. In late May 2024, Polish security services detained a man in Poland who was trying to collect data on military equipment heading to Ukraine. There have also been cases of arson attacks, believed to be carried out by Russian intelligence.
A warehouse fire with humanitarian aid for Ukraine in March 2024 has led to two men being charged with arson and assisting Russian intelligence services.
Train derailments in Sweden, hacking attempts of the Czech railway signaling systems are among those incidents being investigated for potential Russian involvement.
There have also been incidents related to the activities of Russian intelligence services in Belgium. One such incident occurred in 2022, when Belgian intelligence services identified a Russian spy network that was collecting information on military and political targets in the country. During the operation, several people suspected of spying for Russia were detained. In addition, in 2023, an explosion occurred in a warehouse with military equipment in Antwerp, which was considered a possible act of sabotage. Although there was no clear evidence of a connection with Russia, the incident raised concerns among the Belgian authorities.
These examples show that Germany, Poland, Belgium, and other European countries, have become the target of Russian sabotage and espionage activities aimed at undermining military infrastructure and destabilizing the situation in the region.
These incidents highlight the severity and scope of Russia’s hybrid warfare. NATO has already expressed deep concern about such activities and is actively developing countermeasures, including strengthening the protection of critical infrastructure and sharing intelligence information. Thus, Russian attempts to destabilize the situation in Europe, as well as to weaken global support for Ukraine, require special attention and coordinated action by international allies to effectively counter this threat.