SAB Director warns of escalating Russian hybrid threats in Europe

Egils Zviedris, director of Latvia’s Constitution Protection Bureau (SAB), warns that Russia is escalating hybrid threats across Europe. Due to its inability to achieve military objectives in Ukraine and a deteriorating domestic economic situation, Russia is increasingly utilizing cyberattacks, physical sabotage, and information warfare to pressure Western nations and attempt to weaken support for Ukraine.

Zviedris noted that such escalations include incidents like drone activity at airports and sabotage of railway lines in European countries. Regarding Latvia’s upcoming Saeima elections, while the SAB has no specific information regarding planned provocations such as drone appearances, the bureau cannot rule out such scenarios. To bolster security, Latvia has requested additional NATO fighter jets, a request that Germany has supported.

In terms of cybersecurity, the SAB reports that Russia is testing access to various state-managed systems. However, existing defense mechanisms have proven effective; for instance, a hacker who targeted the Road Traffic Safety Directorate failed to breach 12 other state systems within two weeks due to early warning sensors. The SAB emphasizes that while all responsible institutions have response plans in place, the risk of hybrid interference remains a significant concern for regional stability.