Poland has become one of the main targets of Russia’s hybrid attacks

Poland is among the European countries that have faced the highest number of hybrid attacks and acts of sabotage by the Russian Federation over the past six months, according to the findings of a major investigation by Swedish broadcaster SVT and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). Source: Polskie Radio

In a joint effort, journalists from seventeen European media organizations documented at least fifty-four confirmed incidents involving physical sabotage, the planning of acts of sabotage, and provocations across European Union countries. Poland, Romania, and the Baltic states bore the brunt of these actions, with infrastructure as the main target.

The investigation covers the period from April to October and includes cases of deliberate arson targeting commercial and government facilities, damage to logistics infrastructure, the use of drones carrying explosives, and provocations at borders.

Experts at the Helsinki-based European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats note that those behind the actions are becoming increasingly aggressive, and the acts of sabotage themselves pose a direct threat to people’s lives. The stated main aim is to destabilize the domestic situation in EU countries and disrupt the continuity of military and humanitarian supplies to Ukraine.

Analysts warn that the systematic escalation of hybrid operations is blurring the clear line between peace and armed conflict, making it difficult for NATO states to legally classify hostile actions.

Systematic attempts at sabotage require Polish authorities and their alliance partners to significantly strengthen the protection of critical infrastructure and tighten security measures. In response to the growing threat, European intelligence agencies are stepping up intelligence sharing to detect and neutralize sabotage networks in a timely manner.