Expert: Russia uses illegal and unethical means in Europe, knowing Europe won't respond in kind
Atlantic Council expert Elisabeth Braw says Russia wants to increase its power at Europe's expense. Concern is growing that recent hoax threats and cyber attacks may be part of a broad hybrid warfare campaign.
Concerns are mounting across Europe that recent hoax threats and cyber attacks could be part of a large-scale hybrid warfare campaign aimed at undermining European countries. The issue was discussed on 12 November 2026 on the programme "A propos" on France 24, the French international news channel, with Elisabeth Braw, Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council's Transatlantic Security Initiative. The Atlantic Council is a US-based think tank.
Speaking to France 24's Sharon Gaffney, Braw said Russia's goal is to increase its power at the expense of European countries. In her words, the easiest way to achieve that is to constantly wage a "dirty war" against them, using illegal and unethical means.
The expert explained that Russia knows Europe will not use the same means in return. In her view, that is exactly why the approach works in Moscow's favour.
What hybrid warfare means
Hybrid warfare generally refers to a mix of non-military and partly covert methods, such as cyber attacks and disinformation, rather than open armed conflict. The source does not name specific incidents or the countries where the hoax threats and cyber attacks took place.
The interview is available as a France 24 video of just under 13 minutes. Braw is one of the experts commenting on security trends observed in Europe, and her assessment reflects the view of an analyst rather than official authorities.
