European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen accused Russia of conducting a hybrid war against the European Union following a series of recent Russian airspace violations.
"It's time to call it by its name. This is hybrid warfare," the commission president said in her speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday during a debate on the Russian incursions.
To back up her accusation, von der Leyen cited further examples of attacks, including severed undersea cables, cyberattacks on airports and logistics centers and malicious influence campaigns during elections.
"These incidents are calculated to linger in the twilight of deniability," she said. But they are part of an escalating campaign to unsettle EU citizens, test the EU's resolve, divide the bloc and weaken support for Ukraine," she added.
Hybrid warfare, von der Leyen explained, is a combination of methods, from disinformation to cyberattacks or military actions, by which a perpetrator aims to weaken an opponent while remaining as inconspicuous as possible.
