Artificial intelligence overview: Russia's actions against Europe

see 

As of October 2025, Russia's actions against Europe have escalated into an aggressive "hybrid war," according to statements by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. This multi-pronged campaign is designed to destabilize the continent and undermine support for Ukraine through cyberattacks, sabotage, disinformation, and military provocations.
Hybrid warfare and critical infrastructure threats
  • Airspace violations and drone activity: In late 2025, there was a surge in incidents where suspected Russian drones were sighted near military and critical infrastructure sites in several European nations, including Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Poland, and Romania. In September 2025, a large wave of Russian drones was shot down over Poland, and Russian fighter jets have repeatedly breached Estonian airspace.
  • Sabotage: European officials and intelligence services have raised concerns about physical sabotage. In October 2025, an investigation revealed that a Russian "shadow fleet" of aging tankers may be involved in attacks on undersea cables and energy pipelines. Separate intelligence reports also indicated that Russian military intelligence (GRU) may have orchestrated planned drone strikes in Poland, Germany, and Lithuania in October 2025.
  • Cyberattacks: Russia is using cyberattacks as part of its hybrid campaign. A senior EU official warned in October 2025 that this activity is an effort to test Europe's resolve and cause destabilization. 
Disinformation and information manipulation
  • AI-powered disinformation: Russia is increasingly using generative artificial intelligence (AI) to scale up its information warfare campaigns. AI is used to automate content generation for fake websites, social media accounts, and "deepfake" audio and video to deceive European audiences.
  • Targeting public opinion: These operations attempt to undermine trust in governments, amplify pro-Kremlin narratives, and sow internal divisions within the European Union. Narratives often include painting Ukraine as corrupt, denying atrocities, and fearmongering about the effects of sanctions.
  • Election interference: Russian actors have attempted to influence European democratic processes, including the 2024 European Parliament elections. This has involved setting up propaganda networks and using bots to spread fake news. In September 2025, a Russian-funded network was exposed for attempting to disrupt elections in Moldova. 
Economic pressure and military posturing
  • Energy and economic leverage: While Europe has largely weaned itself off Russian energy, Moscow continues to use economic tools to exert pressure. Concerns also persist regarding Russia's ability to evade sanctions through a "shadow fleet" of vessels.
  • Sanctions and circumvention: The EU has continued to strengthen its sanctions against Russia in 2025, including targeting individuals, military entities, and financial institutions. However, some internal disagreements among EU members, such as a dispute over compensation for an Austrian bank, have caused delays in passing new sanctions packages.
  • Military readiness: Russia continues to conduct military exercises and posturing near NATO's borders, including simulated nuclear strikes. These actions, combined with Russia's perceived ability to sustain high casualty rates in Ukraine, have prompted Ukrainian and European officials to warn of a growing risk of a wider conflict if Russian aggression is not challenged. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ukraine turns the tables on Russia

Image
A bold Ukrainian operation in Kursk has humiliated Russian President Vladimir Putin and upended some of the logic of the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. Column by  Ishaan Tharoor The Washington Post , August 14, 2024 at 12:00 a.m. EDT; see also Ukrainian soldiers pose for a picture as they repair a military vehicle near the Russian border on Sunday. (Viacheslav Ratynskyi/Reuters) Russia’s Kursk oblast is no stranger to war.  In medieval times, the district was overrun by the Mongol horde, and was claimed and ceded down the centuries by Eurasian empires. During World War II, the environs of the city of Kursk became the site of the greatest tank battle in history, as Nazi Germany suffered a grievous strategic defeat at the hands of  the bloodied yet unbowed Soviet Union . This past week, Kursk has been the site of the first major invasion of Russian territory since then. This time, it’s not the Nazi war machine rolling in — no matter what Kremlin propagandists insi...
Read more

Putin just called Trump’s bluff on Ukraine, with the Russian art of the ‘no’ deal

Image
Analysis by  Nick Paton Walsh , CNN   Updated 9:19 PM EDT, March 18  Orig inal article contains additional links and illustrations . See also   Thomas L. Friedman ,   I Don’t Believe a Single Word Trump and Putin Say About Ukraine,  The New York Times , March 18; and also A “no” is not a “yes” when it is a “maybe,” a “probably not,” or an “only if.” This is the painfully predictable lesson the Trump administration’s first real foray into wartime diplomacy with the Kremlin has dealt. They’ve been hopelessly bluffed. They asked for a 30-day, frontline-wide ceasefire, without conditions. On Tuesday, they got – after a theatrical week-long wait and hundreds more lives lost – a relatively small prisoner swap, hockey matches, more talks, and – per the Kremlin readout – a month-long mutual pause on attacks against “energy infrastructure.” This last phrase is where an easily avoidable technical minefield begins. Per US President Donald Trump’s post and that of his ...
Read more