European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas accused Russia on Monday of putting lives at risk across Europe through airspace violations, sabotage attempts and other hybrid attacks. Moscow has rejected the accusations made by Western governments and intelligence services.
Speaking at a news briefing alongside Moldovan Prime Minister Vasile Tofan in Brussels, Kallas said Europe had experienced an increase in such incidents in recent weeks. She pointed to what she described as renewed incursions by Russian missiles and drones into Moldovan airspace over the weekend, calling them unacceptable.
The warning follows Russia’s September 30 assault on Ukraine’s energy network, which struck power facilities around Kyiv and in other regions. Moldova’s defence ministry reported that three drones crossed into its airspace that day, highlighting the risks facing countries neighbouring Ukraine.
Concerns have also intensified in Germany. At a parliamentary hearing on Monday, foreign intelligence chief Martin Jäger warned that Russian operations against European democracies were becoming increasingly aggressive. He cited an attempted drone attack on Leipzig airport as an example of the danger, while saying there was no indication of an imminent large-scale Russian attack on NATO territory.
European officials use the term “hybrid attacks” to describe a combination of activities that can include cyber operations, sabotage, information manipulation and threats to critical infrastructure. In a September address to the European Parliament, Kallas argued that these tactics were intended to weaken European resolve, exploit divisions and undermine support for Ukraine. She called for closer intelligence sharing and coordinated countermeasures.
The competing claims underline mounting tensions between Moscow and European capitals. Kallas’s latest remarks place civilian safety at the centre of that dispute, as governments confront threats extending beyond the battlefield in Ukraine. Russia continues to deny Western allegations that it is conducting the sabotage campaign described by European authorities.
