EU WARNS RUSSIA PLANNING MORE SABOTAGE AND ATTACKS ON EUROPEAN DEMOCRACIES

Mon 28 September 2026:

Kaja Kallas calls for preventive action as EU defence ministers discuss hybrid threats, Ukraine and Red Sea security

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has warned that Russia is preparing further sabotage operations and attacks targeting European democracies, urging member states to strengthen vigilance and take preventive measures.

Speaking ahead of an EU defence ministers’ meeting in Brussels on Monday, Kallas said European intelligence indicated that Moscow was preparing further operations intended to undermine public support for Ukraine and divide European societies.

“We see in the intelligence that Russia is planning more sabotage acts and attacks against our democracy to divide our society, to intimidate our societies from refraining to help Ukraine. So, this is something that they have in mind, and we have to keep this in mind as well to be standing up to these threats,” Kallas said.

She said European countries should have the ability to respond before attacks take place rather than waiting until damage has occurred.

__________________________________________________________________________

https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAtNxX8fewmiFmN7N22

__________________________________________________________________________

EU prepares response to hybrid threats

The warnings come as EU defence ministers consider how the bloc should respond to so-called hybrid threats, which can include sabotage, cyberattacks, disinformation, infrastructure disruption and other activities below the threshold of conventional warfare.

The European Council’s agenda for Monday includes discussions on hybrid threats alongside military support for Ukraine, European defence cooperation and developments in the Middle East.

Ministers are also expected to consider an emergency mechanism that could be activated if a threat targets an EU member state.

Kallas has previously warned that Europe is experiencing a growing number of sabotage incidents and airspace violations, which she says are designed in part to discourage European support for Ukraine.

European officials have increasingly described Russian activity as a form of hybrid warfare, while Moscow has denied accusations of conducting such attacks against Western countries.

Europe seeks to close defence gaps

Kallas also said European defence spending has increased but that significant gaps remain in the bloc’s military capabilities.

She argued that the next priority should be identifying and addressing those shortages as European countries seek to strengthen their ability to respond to security threats.

The discussion comes as the EU continues to expand defence cooperation following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and amid broader concerns about the security of critical infrastructure across Europe.

EU considers strengthening Red Sea mission

The ministers are also due to discuss the security situation in the Middle East, including the EU’s naval Operation Aspides, which was established to protect commercial shipping in the Red Sea and surrounding waters.

Kallas said the mission needs additional military assets, particularly ships capable of escorting vessels through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a strategically important maritime passage connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.

The EU has previously acknowledged that Aspides requires more ships to respond to growing threats to commercial navigation.

Kallas said EU governments would examine whether vessels offered to a separate “coalition of the willing” could temporarily be transferred to Operation Aspides.

The proposal comes as maritime security in the Red Sea and the wider Middle East remains a major concern for European governments because disruptions around the region can affect global shipping, energy supplies and trade routes.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

__________________________________________________________________________

FOLLOW INDEPENDENT PRESS:

WhatsApp CHANNEL
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAtNxX8fewmiFmN7N22