European leaders say they are facing “hybrid war”, meaning attacks that are not a normal shooting war. They point to explosive drones, sabotage, cyber attacks and meddling in politics.
Most of them blame Russia, which denies it. Al Jazeera's Inside Story asked how countries should answer such attacks. Guests included defence experts Patrick Bury, Pavel Felgenhauer and Wolfgang Pusztai.
🔍 The Backstory
Hybrid war means using many tools at once, some military and some not, while staying below the line of open war. The aim is to cause damage and confusion without triggering a full military response.
Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, European countries have reported more incidents. These include cut cables in the Baltic Sea, fires at factories, drones near airports and false stories spread online.
Because such acts are hard to prove and often hurt no one, it is tricky to decide what counts as an attack and how to hit back.
🎯 Why It Matters
NATO and the EU are trying to agree on when and how to answer these attacks. Doing nothing may invite more; acting too fast risks a wider war.
European leaders say they are facing “hybrid war”, meaning attacks that are not a normal shooting war. They point to explosive drones, sabotage, cyber attacks and meddling in politics.
Most of them blame Russia, which denies it. Al Jazeera's Inside Story asked how countries should answer such attacks. Guests included defence experts Patrick Bury, Pavel Felgenhauer and Wolfgang Pusztai.
Hybrid war means using many tools at once, some military and some not, while staying below the line of open war. The aim is to cause damage and confusion without triggering a full military response.
Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, European countries have reported more incidents. These include cut cables in the Baltic Sea, fires at factories, drones near airports and false stories spread online.
Because such acts are hard to prove and often hurt no one, it is tricky to decide what counts as an attack and how to hit back.
NATO and the EU are trying to agree on when and how to answer these attacks. Doing nothing may invite more; acting too fast risks a wider war.