A new analysis indicates that while high-profile incidents persist, conventional hybrid warfare attacks, including cyberattacks, sabotage, and influence operations, attributed to Russia in Europe declined in 2025 following a peak in 2024, though the threat remains significant as major elections approach, France 24 reports.
According to researcher Bart Schuurman, part of a group cataloging such operations, the reduction may be due to improved European intelligence detection, a Kremlin shift toward U.S.-led negotiations over Ukraine, or a strategic reassessment.
However, 2025 still witnessed serious kinetic and cyber-enabled attacks, including an attempted sniper assassination in France and a foiled explosive plot in Germany. Schuurman notes the core objective of these deniable operations, which integrate cyberattacks with physical sabotage, is to destabilize European societies and undermine support for Ukraine.
With key elections slated for 2026 in France and other nations, experts warn that hybrid warfare risks could surge, especially if peace talks fail or U.S. support for Ukraine wanes, potentially leading to larger-scale operations designed to test European resolve and influence political outcomes.
According to researcher Bart Schuurman, part of a group cataloging such operations, the reduction may be due to improved European intelligence detection, a Kremlin shift toward U.S.-led negotiations over Ukraine, or a strategic reassessment.
However, 2025 still witnessed serious kinetic and cyber-enabled attacks, including an attempted sniper assassination in France and a foiled explosive plot in Germany. Schuurman notes the core objective of these deniable operations, which integrate cyberattacks with physical sabotage, is to destabilize European societies and undermine support for Ukraine.
With key elections slated for 2026 in France and other nations, experts warn that hybrid warfare risks could surge, especially if peace talks fail or U.S. support for Ukraine wanes, potentially leading to larger-scale operations designed to test European resolve and influence political outcomes.
