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AI-Enhanced Cyberattacks From Russia Pose Growing Threat to Europe, Dutch Intelligence Says
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Russia is utilizing artificial intelligence to intensify its cyberattacks on Europe, Dutch military intelligence cautioned on April 21, predicting an increase in the threat.
“Russian capabilities are growing. Russian actors can execute their cyberattacks at a high pace. This is partly because they can partially automate their attacks, including by means of artificial intelligence,” the Netherlands Defense Intelligence and Security Service stated in its 2025 annual report.
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According to the report, in its pursuit of becoming a leading power in the new world order, Russia is looking to China as a strategic ally. While China maintains a neutral stance on the war in Ukraine, Chinese businesses are still actively supporting Russia’s military operations in the region.
Russia remains the primary and most immediate threat to peace and stability in Europe, as well as to our national security and interests.
“In addition to the war in Ukraine, we see that Russia is also deploying cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns, acts of sabotage, and espionage to instill fear, unrest, and division, as well as to influence decision-making,” the report says.
In response to rising cyber and hybrid threats, Germany is taking steps to broaden the authority of its intelligence and cybersecurity agencies, as its officials are working on two pieces of legislation to expand the capabilities of its agencies.
One proposed law would revise the mandate of Germany's foreign intelligence services, authorizing them to conduct offensive cyber operations outside the country's borders. Another would enhance security agencies' ability to respond to hybrid threats, which include both digital and physical disruptions.
These moves come after Germany faced several high-profile cyber incidents, including drone incursions at airports in Berlin and Munich, a cyberattack on its air traffic control system, and several operations attributed to Russian intelligence services. Notably, Russia’s cyberattacks have targeted German institutions, including the 2015 hack of the Bundestag and the 2024 breach of the ruling Social Democratic Party.
In another example of rising cyber threats, pro-Russian hackers launched an attack on a small hydropower plant in Poland’s Pomeranian Voivodeship, near Gdańsk, marking the second time in recent months that the same facility has been targeted.
CyberDefence24 reported on August 18 that the attackers released video footage showing manipulation of the plant’s control interface. The hackers altered the operational settings of the plant to extreme levels, causing the generator and rotor to stop functioning.
Polish analysts confirmed that the video showed active interference with the facility's operations, further raising concerns about the security of critical infrastructure in Europe.
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