Russia-Europe cooperation persists in ITER fusion project amid hybrid warfare warnings

Despite EU sanctions following the invasion of Ukraine, cooperation between Russian and European researchers continues within the ITER project. Located in southern France, ITER is a major international effort to harness nuclear fusion by creating and controlling plasma at temperatures of approximately 150 million degrees Celsius. The project aims to develop fusion as a stable, large-scale energy source that produces significantly less long-lived radioactive waste than current nuclear power.

Separately, Kyrylo Budanov, a high-ranking Ukrainian official, suggests that Europe is beginning to recognize the scale of Russian hybrid warfare. He notes that Central European states are increasingly experiencing aggressive actions, including information operations, propaganda, and sabotage targeting critical infrastructure such as defense industries, airports, and railways. Recent investigations include a suspected arson attack against a defense supplier in Estonia and the discovery of an explosive-laden drone at a German airport in Leipzig, both of which authorities link to Russian destabilization efforts.