Russia is waging an unconventional war on Europe. Through its campaign of sabotage, vandalism, espionage, cyber attacks, and covert action, Russia’s aim has been to destabilise European governments, undermine public support for Ukraine by imposing social and economic costs on Europe, and weaken the collective ability of NATO and the European Union to respond to Russian aggression. For many years, there was Russian digital espionage, malware, and DDoS attacks, but this unconventional war began to escalate in 2022 in parallel to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. While Russia has so far failed to achieve its primary aim, European capitals including Bern have struggled to respond to Russian sabotage operations and have found it challenging to agree a unified response, coordinate action, develop effective deterrence measures, and impose sufficient costs on the Kremlin.

About the speaker

Charlie Edwards

Senior Fellow at International Institute for Strategic Studies

Charlie Edwards is a senior fellow for strategy and national security at the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). His current research looks at the role of non-state actors and use of proxies in conflict; the impact of artificial intelligence on national security with a particular focus on energy policy; and the application of scenario planning and forecasting by governments and businesses to anticipate and mitigate risks. From 2015 to 2024, he served in the British Government, including as Director of Strategy, Head of the Intelligence Analysis Profession, and as a senior adviser to two Home Secretaries. Prior to this, Charlie worked for the RAND Corporation and Royal United Services Institute. He began his career at NATO HQ.
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