European governments have accused russia of escalating hybrid attacks on Ukraine's Western allies as the Baltic states investigate whether the cutting of two fiber-optic telecommunications cables in the Baltic Sea was sabotage. Poland, in particular, has threatened to close all russian consulates in the country.
This was reported by Reuters.
"Moscow's escalation of hybrid activities against NATO and EU countries is also unprecedented in its diversity and scale, posing significant security risks," said a statement signed by the foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the United Kingdom.
The statement stressed that Europe must "think and act big" to strengthen its security.
It came as European countries investigated the complete severing this week of Baltic cables, one connecting Finland and Germany and the other between Sweden and Lithuania, recalling previous incidents on the busy waterway.
Two European sources said the statement was not a direct response to the cable severing.
One cable failed on Sunday morning, the other less than 24 hours later on Monday.
European officials have not directly accused russia of destroying the cables. But Germany, Poland and other countries have said it was likely an act of sabotage, and Lithuania’s military has stepped up surveillance of its waters in response.
"If russia does not stop its sabotage in Europe, Warsaw will close its remaining consulates in Poland," Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said on Tuesday after a meeting of foreign ministers from several European countries in the Polish capital.
Russia has repeatedly denied sabotaging European infrastructure and said the accusations are an attempt to harm russian interests as part of the information war being waged by the West.
As Ukrainian News Agency reported, earlier, on July 30, unknown individuals cut a number of fiber-optic cables that provide broadband throughout France.
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