Ukraine warns Russia may escalate sabotage and drone attacks against Baltic and northern European countries as hybrid warfare provocations to pressure NATO, supported by Ukrainian intelligence assessments.

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak warned that Russia, facing a dead-end in the war in Ukraine, is likely to escalate hybrid warfare tactics against Europe, especially northern and Baltic states, using sabotage and drone attacks as provocations to pressure NATO and the EU. He emphasized that Ukraine has specific intelligence about Russia's plans to raise the stakes via provocative actions rather than a full-scale attack. Podolyak stressed that while Russia cannot open new full-scale fronts due to resource shortages, it retains capability for hybrid attacks including sabotage groups and drone flights aimed at European neighbors. This warning serves to urge European countries to accelerate defense investments in military technologies, improve crisis response, and take the Russian threat seriously. The Russian goal is to weaken NATO and reassert control over parts of Europe, using military-authoritarian blackmail and provocations.