Ukraine's foreign minister says Russia is already attacking Europe, urges sweeping countermeasures
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha posted on X that Russia is already actively attacking Europe, citing a list of recent incidents and calling on European governments to take sweeping countermeasures. The post came against a backdrop of reported warnings from Denmark about planned Russian sabotage against its defense industry and reporting on more than 165 suspected sabotage incidents in Germany this year.
Key points
- Sybiha made the statement in a post on X on September 5.
- He cited as evidence: the drone incident at Leipzig airport, sabotage against defense industry enterprises in EU countries, secret recruitment of European security forces, GPS jamming of aviation signals, drone and missile incursions into NATO airspace, damage to underwater cables in the Baltic Sea, cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns tied to the crisis in Ceuta, and recently discovered underground tunnels from Belarus to the Baltic states.
- He argued Russia's aggression against Ukraine in 2014 and 2022 was preceded by similar tactical steps to undermine unity and weaken national resolve.
- He called for banning Russian combatants from the EU, reducing non-essential visa issuance for Russians to an absolute minimum, a full trade embargo, tough sanctions, and termination of all energy projects including in nuclear energy.
- He called for closing all branches of Rossotrudnichestvo and 'Russian Houses,' ending cultural and scientific exchanges, banning Russian propaganda and its agents, and exposing networks corrupting political and business elites.
- He said Ukraine is ready to share its experience countering Russian aggression and is open to cooperation with European governments.
- Danish intelligence said on September 3 that Russia planned sabotage at defense enterprises to stop supplies to Ukraine; Süddeutsche Zeitung reported more than 165 suspected sabotage incidents registered by German law enforcement since the start of 2026.
Why it matters
The post reframes a string of recent European incidents — from drone disruptions at airports to suspected sabotage of defense supply chains — as elements of a single coordinated Russian campaign against Europe rather than isolated cases. It pairs that diagnosis with a concrete policy agenda: visa restrictions, an embargo, sanctions, termination of energy ties, and the dismantling of Russian state-linked cultural and influence networks in Europe. By offering Ukraine's own counter-disruption experience as a resource, Sybiha also positions Kyiv as a partner for European governments responding to the threat.
What happened
On September 5, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha posted on X that Russia is already actively attacking Europe. He listed as examples the drone incident at Leipzig airport, sabotage against defense industry enterprises in EU countries, the secret recruitment of European security forces as 'marionettes,' GPS jamming of aviation signals, drone and missile incursions into NATO airspace, damage to underwater cables in the Baltic Sea, cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns exploiting the crisis in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, and recently discovered underground tunnels running from Belarus to the Baltic states. He argued that Russia's aggressions against Ukraine in 2014 and 2022 had been preceded by similar tactical steps aimed at undermining unity and weakening national resolve, and warned that the current pattern should not be mistaken for isolated incidents.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
The two Ukrainian-language sources that fed the story center Sybiha's voice and policy prescriptions. They present the listed incidents as a coordinated Russian campaign against Europe and frame Ukraine as a ready partner offering its accumulated counter-aggression experience to European governments.
Where reporting differs
Sybiha's post referenced 'the crisis in Syria' as an example of Russian disinformation in one account, while a separate fact cites 'the crisis in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta' as the example he gave.
Background
On September 3, Danish intelligence said Russia planned sabotage at defense enterprises to stop supplies to Ukraine, and Denmark has publicly stated that Russia is preparing sabotage against its defense industry. According to Süddeutsche Zeitung on September 5, German law enforcement has registered more than 165 incidents potentially linked to sabotage since the beginning of 2026. The Telegraph has reported that Russia is recruiting gangs for sabotage at European defense enterprises.