Russia Blamed for Growing Disruptions in Europe Targeting Everything From Freezers to Flights

Western Europe is facing a growing number of widespread hacking and other hybrid attacks on everything from refrigerators to blood banks and the finger is being pointed at Russia.European airlines are the latest target with a wave of false bomb threats. More than a dozen flights were affected on Thursday with some making emergency landings or facing military escorts. It was the second time in a week that flights across Europe were targeted with hoax bomb threats.Hundreds of supermarket refrigerators and freezers have been hacked in several countries in the past several weeks. The cyber attack sent temperatures in refrigerators and freezers soaring to as high as 122 degrees Fahrenheit. Lost food costs are estimated to be in the millions of dollars.Two pro-Russian hacker groups have claimed responsibility for the cyber attacks. The European Union’s agriculture and food commissioner, Christophe Hansen, said the attacks are a deliberate attempt to disrupt the food chain.French blood banks have also been targeted with cold storage units containing blood products being remotely targeted and heated. Alarms alerted staff at the blood banks and they reported that they were able to quickly intervene to prevent the loss of any blood products.Cybersecurity company Lupovis says systems that collect information about the hacking methods used in the supermarket attacks indicate the involvement of a state-sponsored cyber group.Russia is accused of running an ongoing campaign of instability and NATO and several European intelligence agencies say it appears to be escalating. The United Kingdom’s House of Commons on Wednesday released a research briefing on Russia’s hybrid warfare campaign in Europe. “Incidents of alleged Russian sabotage, criminal damage, disinformation, and aggressive military tactics and rhetoric are becoming more commonplace, as is the use of proxies to conduct low-level activities in EU and NATO countries on behalf of the Russian state,” the briefing warned.The report found that Russian attacks are becoming more sophisticated and intense, facilitated by the pace of technological change.The Atlantic Council says Moscow has been waging a shadow war against Europe since the first Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2014 in an effort to encourage public opposition to pro-Ukraine policies. It said August’s attempted drone bombing of Germany’s Leipzig airport by Russia “was widely interpreted as a watershed moment” that could increase the confrontation between Europe and the Kremlin. The council says the Russian operations are highlighting the vulnerability of Europe’s civilian infrastructure.The Kremlin has repeatedly denied any role in the incidents in Europe, but the Council on Foreign Relations says Russia attacks in Europe are escalating and claims governments there have been too slow in their responses.The European Broadcasting Union has built an interactive map showing Russian-linked incidents carried out across Europe since April, including drone sightings, acts of sabotage, and airspace violations. There are nearly four-dozen incidents that are detailed including many on the eastern edge of Baltic countries.

Russia Blamed for Growing Disruptions in Europe Targeting Everything From Freezers to Flights

Russia Blamed for Growing Disruptions in Europe Targeting Everything From Freezers to Flights

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