Europe identifies country most vulnerable to russia's actions - The Telegraph

The security of one of the European Union states has once again come under the spotlight amid growing geopolitical tensions and russian activity. The Telegraph reports.

The publication notes that experts are increasingly pointing to weaknesses in the European defense system, especially in countries that lack sufficient means to detect and neutralize threats.

According to Irish Senator and retired Army Captain Tom Clonan, Ireland is the most vulnerable. "Ireland is the weakest link in Europe in terms of security, defense and intelligence," he said, emphasizing that the country lacks modern sensors and weapons capable of countering threats, which leaves it "absolutely defenseless and provocatively weak."

The Telegraph notes that the main risks for Ireland are not related to a direct invasion scenario, but to the so-called "gray zone." This includes, in particular, submarine cables and gas pipelines in nearby waters: about 75% of key transatlantic cables pass through or near Irish borders.

The article recalls that in November last year, the russian reconnaissance ship Yantar was spotted near cables used by Microsoft and Google, whose European headquarters are located in Ireland. At the same time, the country does not have modern radar and sonar systems and often learns about russian activity from allies, primarily the United Kingdom.

The article also mentions the incident in December 2023, when a British warship and helicopter chased a russian submarine near Cork harbor, as well as the flight of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during which drones were spotted in Irish airspace. Despite this, the Irish authorities have not publicly commented on the situation or announced a change in defense policy.

At the same time, the publication notes that EU countries located near russia's borders plan to develop specific steps to strengthen defense, considering russia as one of the key threats to European security.

As a reminder, Reuters reported that, according to American intelligence estimates, russian president vladimir putin has not abandoned plans to completely seize Ukraine and seek to return part of the European territories that were previously part of the USSR to Moscow's control.