Russia puts lives at risk across Europe with hybrid attacks: EU foreign policy chief Kallas

• EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas condemned Russia's hybrid attacks, including missile and drone strikes violating European airspace, risking lives across the continent.
• Russia launched a major air campaign on Sept 30 targeting Ukraine's energy grid, causing widespread damage and outages around Kyiv and other regions.
• Germany warns of ongoing Russian hybrid attacks, including drone and cyber assaults, while pledging continued support for Ukraine amid an expected harsh winter.

BRUSSELS – Russia is putting lives at risk across Europe with hybrid attacks, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Oct 5, at a news briefing alongside Moldovan Prime Minister Vasile Tofan.

“Europe has seen a spike in the Russian hybrid attacks and sabotage attempts and airspace violations in recent weeks. Russian missiles and drones violated Moldovan airspace again over the weekend. And this is completely unacceptable,” she told reporters in Brussels.

On Sept 30, Russia unleashed a widely anticipated air campaign against Ukraine’s energy grid, hitting power facilities and infrastructure around Kyiv and other regions in the heaviest combined attack on energy sites in months.

In Moldova, on Ukraine’s western border, the defence ministry said three drones had crossed into its airspace over the course of that day.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also warned last week that Germany faced more hybrid attacks from Russia, as he pledged to continue support for Ukraine ahead of what is likely to be its harshest winter since the start of Russia’s invasion in 2022.

The German authorities have warned repeatedly that Russia is conducting a hybrid campaign of drone and cyber attacks, accusing Moscow of being behind an attempted drone attack at Leipzig airport in August.

Moscow has rejected the accusations from Western governments and intelligence services. REUTERS