Despite expanding sanctions, European industrial and navigation technologies continue to reach Russia and Belarus through intermediaries, concealed end users, and re-exports from third countries. Investigations and law-enforcement statements released in August–September 2026 showed that the weak point of the sanctions regime remains control over goods after they have formally left...
Germany is creating mobile police units to defend against drones
Germany has begun forming mobile units of the Federal Police that will counter drones and protect airports, railway stations, government districts and other strategic sites. German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt announced the plan. Under the Interior Ministry’s plan, rapidly deployable special groups will be stationed in nine key cities: Berlin,...
What threats does Russian hackers’ use of AI pose to Europe
The use of artificial intelligence in planning and carrying out cyberattacks takes them to a new level. It allows attackers to find ways around individual defensive mechanisms more quickly, automate intrusion, and run complex operations with a smaller team of skilled specialists. A telling example came on 27 August 2026,...
How AfD’s campaign against wind power serves the Kremlin’s interests and could harm Germany
Against the backdrop of the state election in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the AfD has turned its fight against wind energy into a tool for mobilizing voters and an argument for returning to Russian energy supplies. On 26 August 2026, NDR noted that in its propaganda materials about wind turbines the party...
Why Eastern Germany has again become a target of Russia’s hybrid operation
In July 2026, the German-speaking segments of X, TikTok and Bluesky were hit by a wave of professionally fabricated content: short, fast-paced videos dressed in the graphics and lower-thirds of leading European outlets — Der Spiegel, ZDF and Eurostat. In one clip produced with deepfake technology, “journalists” claimed that the...
How the EU’s post-covid recovery fund lost €5 billion due to inadequate auditing
Large-scale fraud involving the EU’s post-COVID recovery fund has been under close scrutiny from journalists and the European public for an extended period. The Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) was established to support the recovery of European countries affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Hundreds of billions of euros were intended...
Russia is undermining trust between Central European countries in order to strengthen its influence
Russia is increasingly exploiting former territorial disputes between European states as a basis for information operations aimed at fuelling mutual distrust and political tensions. Central European countries are particularly vulnerable to such manipulation due to the complex history of border changes over the past century, the presence of national minorities,...
The crisis in Meloni’s coalition, the threat of snap elections and their cost to Europe
On 4 September 2026, Giorgia Meloni’s government will set a historic record by becoming the longest-serving government in post-war Italian history, surpassing the record of Silvio Berlusconi’s 2001–2005 cabinet. Formed after the right-wing coalition’s victory in the 25 September 2022 general election, the government will have remained in office for...
The situation in Poland one year before the Parliamentary elections
Although Poland’s next parliamentary elections are scheduled for October–November 2027, the election campaign is effectively already in full swing. A year ahead of the decisive political contest, Poland is experiencing one of the most serious political confrontations of the past decade. The outcome will determine not only the composition of...
Vienna network supplied Russia’s war machine
At first glance, the modest trading company with a registered address in one of Vienna’s business districts appeared indistinguishable from thousands of other European B2B intermediaries. The absence of significant advertising, a minimal staff and a concise website created the typical profile of a small intermediary structure. However, behind this...