Russia is targeting Europe’s infrastructure – What’s next? | Anatomy of Disinformation

Almost everyday a new sabotage plot is foiled somewhere in NATO. Putin is desperate to curb the cash and munitions flowing into Ukraine. What better way to do this than by creating havoc and chaos leading those countries to focus on their own defense first. While I think Putin is a power hungry madman, I just don't think he is crazy enough to start a war with NATO when Russia is barely holding their own against a country that, on paper, they should have steamrolled 4.5 years ago.

My friends <br>This is not an empty phrase. This is the ultimate truth.<br>Cyberattacks are no longer a hackers’ game. They are a weapon of hybrid warfare used by Russia to influence, destabilize, and destroy European societies. They have already targeted governments, businesses, critical infrastructure, healthcare systems, and our personal data. But what happens when attacks become an instrument of psychological warfare, sabotage, and disinformation?<br>In this special episode of Anatomy of Disinformation, your host, who truly loves you, brings you Bryson Bort – founder of SCYTHE, NATO expert, and co-founder of ICS Village – and Karol Bojke, a NASK CERT expert specializing in incident response, phishing, social engineering, AI scams, and deepfakes.<br>We will analyze Russian state-sponsored attacks, critical infrastructure, data breaches, human error, and the growing role of AI in emerging threats. And we will ask, with brutal honesty:<br>Can we prevent every attack? Or do we need to learn how to build societies resilient enough to withstand them?<br><br>Chapters<br><br><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrJNf14Mj1c">00:00</a> Introduction: Cyberwarfare – the modern front of hybrid warfare<br><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrJNf14Mj1c&amp;t=89">01:29</a> Cyberattacks as an instrument of geopolitical influence<br><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrJNf14Mj1c&amp;t=193">03:13</a> Targeting public trust and critical infrastructure<br><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrJNf14Mj1c&amp;t=321">05:21</a> Preparing governments and citizens for cyber crises<br><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrJNf14Mj1c&amp;t=571">09:31</a> Case study: Disinformation targeting Poland and the Czech Republic + hacking Polish patients’ data<br><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrJNf14Mj1c&amp;t=897">14:57</a> Attacks on healthcare data + risks to citizens<br><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrJNf14Mj1c&amp;t=1093">18:13</a> Responding to data theft and social engineering<br><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrJNf14Mj1c&amp;t=1338">22:18</a> Prevention and societal resilience<br>And at the end of the episode, you will find the link to our 24/7 livestream on YouTube, where we follow the news and updates every day.<br>TVP World is Poland’s first English-language channel showing the world from a Polish perspective.<br>Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky – all at @tvpworld.<br>Thank you to every single one of you who made it this far.<br>Thank you to the teams of experts who work behind the scenes.<br>Thank you to those of you who pay taxes so that we can be protected.<br>Thank you to the police officers, doctors, engineers, farmers, entrepreneurs, and parents who fight every day to help Europe survive this hybrid war.<br>Without you, none of this would happen.<br>Now, let us go directly to the ultimate truth, without detours.<br>1. Russian attacks are already here – and they are growing exponentially<br>This is not a conspiracy theory.<br>It is documented.<br>The number of Russian-backed hybrid attacks in Europe increased exponentially after mid-2025, according to an ICCT and GLOBSEC report from February 2026.<br>Ransomware attacks increased by 29% in Europe, according to TicTac Research, 2026.<br>Russian cyberattacks against NATO members increased by 25% in just one year, according to an Euronews and Microsoft analysis from October 2025.<br>CERT Poland revealed the most complex destructive attack against Polish energy infrastructure – involving VPNs, OT tunneling, and sabotage targeting wind farms, solar power plants, and electricity networks in 2026.<br>Healthcare software covering half of Poland’s population was hacked, resulting in a massive breach of patient data.<br>More than 20 European NGOs were targeted through Evilginx phishing and deepfakes.<br>Pro-Russian hacktivist groups such as NoName057(16) were responsible for attacks against critical infrastructure in 12 European countries, according to Eurojust, July 2025.<br>Concrete, verified examples:<br>Attacks against the Polish electricity network in December 2025 – targeting farmers, energy infrastructure, and industrial control systems.<br>Sabotage targeting Polish defense factories.<br>Cross-border disinformation between Poland and the Czech Republic in 2025 – fabricated narratives about a “Polish-Czech crisis” and claims that aid to Ukraine was harming Czechs, according to an ISD Global report from 2025.<br>These are not merely “incidents.”<br>They are campaigns of warfare.<br>Exactly like the Nazis before 1939: division, fear, sabotage – with genocide being planned.<br>Russia is repeating the pattern, only now with cyber weapons and AI.<br>The objective?<br>To destroy trust.<br>To weaken the economy.<br>To divide Europe into “friends” and “enemies.”<br>Exactly as they have attempted to do with NATO, the EU, and Poland.<br>2. Why does Europe “accept” it – and why is that a tragic illusion?<br>Here is the ultimate truth, without going around it:<br>Europe is not “accepting” these attacks. Europe is being systematically attacked, while the official response has been slow and unsatisfactory for years.<br>Why?<br>I. Geopolitical realism<br>And here I am glad that Bryson Bort is with us.<br>Europe chose the eastern path – massive dependence on Russian energy until 2022–2023, investments in Russian energy, Nord Stream, other pipelines, and economic ties that became too deep.<br>It was not necessarily naivety.<br>It was a calculation.<br>But the calculation was wrong.<br>When Russia invaded Ukraine, the price was paid.<br>Now cyberattacks are the price of continuity.<br>II. Bureaucracy, debate, and fear of direct escalation<br>The EU and NATO do not have a single “commander” for cyber operations.<br>NATO’s mandate is primarily defensive.<br>The EU’s role is largely civilian.<br>The response comes slowly:<br>Sanctions – the latest EU and UK packages in July 2026 targeted Russian cyber-espionage networks.<br>Exercises – NATO conducted exercises involving 20 countries in 2025.<br>But there is no direct offensive response.<br>“We do not want nuclear war.”<br>Fine.<br>But Russia is already waging hybrid war.<br>III. The lack of societal resilience<br>Many Europeans still believe:<br>“If we do not attack, they will not attack us.”<br>That is a fatal mistake.<br>Social engineering + deepfakes + ransomware =<br>one click, and your world can collapse.<br>IV. Internal divisions<br>Hungary and parts of Eastern Europe maintain positions that are neutral or sympathetic toward Russia.<br>That weakens unity.<br>But again, this is not “acceptance.”<br>It is weakness – and Russia exploits weakness.<br>3. What we must do now – ultimate resilience<br>We cannot stop every attack.<br>That is impossible.<br>What we can stop is destruction.<br>How?<br>Direct protection<br>Patrols.<br>Rapid incident response, as practiced by NASK CERT.<br>Blocking unauthorized access to medical and energy data.<br>Societal resilience<br>Mass education against AI-powered scams.<br>Automatic backups.<br>Redundant critical systems.<br>Strict cybersecurity laws.<br>Real sanctions<br>Not merely symbolic strikes.<br>Freeze and seize Russian assets.<br>Close banks that finance hackers.<br>Expel spies.<br>We are already moving in that direction:<br>The EU and UK have already targeted the GRU and Russian networks in 2026.<br>One alliance<br>Poland + the rest of Europe + the United States + the United Kingdom = a force of steel.<br>We can no longer afford to make room for “neutralists.”<br>Here is the clear evidence that forces us to act:<br>The recent response in 2026 shows that when Europe acts, Russia is vulnerable.<br>Resilience works.<br>Countries such as Poland and Estonia have demonstrated greater resilience.<br>The Russian objective is clear:<br>To make Europe collapse from within – like a robot with a damaged circuit.<br>I have a message for you, my friends.<br>Europe has not died.<br>Europe is being reborn – stronger, more united, more resilient.<br>We will no longer accept Russia destroying us.<br>We will no longer accept turning ourselves into passive victims.<br>We are the citizens who resist.<br>We are the Europe that rises.<br>We will build societies capable of surviving any attack.<br>We will answer every attack with resilience.<br>And we will do it together –<br>with data,<br>with intelligence,<br>with speed.<br>Thank you again.<br>Now…<br>Act.<br>Until next time,<br>seek the ultimate truth.<br>Resist.<br>Build.<br>The Climax<br>Europe will be resilient.<br>Even if the Russians try to destroy it –<br>we will be the ones who protect it.<br>The ultimate truth wins.<br>Because we choose the future

Russia has a weapon more powerful than nuclear and they are the undisputed leader in its production and it’s not even close. It’s Propaganda and mis information. They attack with it daily and no one seems to be able to do anything about it. They have used it to build up the AfD and other extreme right wing movements in France, Poland and most every other European country. They are in North America , South America, Africa and Asia.