Russia and Belarus carried out over 50 hybrid attacks in Europe in six months
Between April 1 and October 15, 2026, at least 52 incidents occurred in European countries that may be linked to the hybrid war waged by Russia and Belarus against the West.
During this period, at least 48 incidents took place within the EU—as well as in the United Kingdom, Norway, and Moldova—that authorities, intelligence services, or other officials have linked to Russia or identified as potential components of its hybrid operations. Another four incidents are attributed to the actions of Belarus.
Poland experienced the highest number of attacks, with nine recorded cases. Here, the hybrid war takes various forms—ranging from airspace violations by Russian aircraft to attacks on defense facilities and the arson of a Starlink station.
Other countries frequently targeted include Latvia, Romania, Moldova, Lithuania, Finland, Bulgaria, and Germany.
The authors of the investigation suggest that Belarus’s hybrid attacks primarily manifest as pressure on the EU’s borders through the use of migrants. Although the Polish side reports that migrants have effectively disappeared from the Polish-Belarusian border, the investigators identified at least 250 attempts to illegally cross the Polish border from the Belarusian side between April 1 and October 15, 2026. However, Belarus’s involvement in the hybrid war against its European neighbors is not limited to provocations at the border. Minsk’s hybrid attacks include the surveillance of opposition-minded émigrés and the launching of weather balloons that disrupt operations at Vilnius Airport.
It is worth noting that an arson attempt against a local company in Lithuania—which stores Starlink communications equipment—was recently thwarted. The country’s authorities link the incident to the activities of “hostile states.”
Additionally, two German citizens have been accused of setting fire to Starlink antennas in Bulgaria.