As Ukraine enters its third winter of invasion, its critical infrastructure will again come under assault from missiles, drones and cyberattacks. Russia aims to freeze the Ukrainian population into submission and force the authorities in Kyiv to end their resistance. Thanks to a combination of ingenuity and upgrades to its networks, Ukraine is managing to survive. But if such an assault targeted European infrastructure, it is not clear that we would cope nearly as well. Given the explicit threats from our adversaries, that should concern us all.
Russian officials are open that our critical infrastructure would be targeted in the event of a wider escalation in Europe. Its 2000 Military Doctrine refers to destruction of power generation facilities, infrastructure, means of communication and vital installations as key features of modern war. In 2022, a senior Russian official told the UN that commercial satellites could be “legitimate targets for retaliatory strikes”.
Europe’s subsea cables network is a grave cause for concern. Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev has openly threatened an attack in response to support for Ukraine. These cables carry around 98 per cent of the world’s internet traffic, and three EU countries are fully reliant on them for their connectivity. Without these cables our phones, cars, televisions, even fridges, will cease to function effectively.