From hackers manipulating supermarket refrigerators to inciting riots in France! Europe faces “state terrorism” and cognitive warfare

Europe is currently facing unprecedented complex security threats. The latest leaked internal government assessments and official interviews show that external forces such as Russia are aggressively infiltrating and undermining European stability: on the one hand, they are conducting cyber attacks and physical destruction of critical infrastructure; on the other hand, they are using artificial intelligence (AI) and social media to spread false information and accurately attack social conflicts in various countries.

The Financial Times reported that there have been frequent incidents of vandalism and arson in Europe that are suspected to be led by Moscow. Last week, the refrigeration equipment of nearly a hundred supermarkets in Estonia, Belgium, Finland and Sweden were attacked by hackers and caused overheating. In addition, about 700 supermarkets in France were attacked last month, causing millions of euros in losses. The European Commission identified it as an attack on European food safety.

In addition, the Estonian Milrem Robotics company was also set on fire in August this year, and authorities found that the suspect was employed by Russia.

Estonian Interior Minister Igor Taro bluntly stated that Russia accurately controls attacks below the military threshold and handles 90% of the country's internal security threats. "The word 'hybrid' is too mild. This is basically state-sponsored terrorism." He emphasized that Europe must verify and hold accountable the responsibility for every attack. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk also warned that the Russian threat will continue to expand, with Eastern Europe and the Baltic countries bearing the brunt.

In addition to physical damage, Europe's social resilience is also being severely tested. An internal assessment report obtained by Reuters from the European Union and the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs revealed that during the severe riots that broke out in France due to high prices in October, a pro-Russian network called "Operation Overload" took the opportunity to cause chaos. It used AI to forge Western mainstream media reports and spread false information such as "immigrants sexually assaulted protesters" in an attempt to blame the riots on out-of-control immigrants. This would create an image of the French government as weak and incompetent, and undermine European public support for supporting Ukraine.

It is worth noting that Russia is not alone in this awareness war. According to data from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, although pro-Russian accounts received millions of views during the riots, accounts related to the "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) camp, as well as posts by Israeli officials and Internet celebrities, had even more astonishing influence. The two generated 49 million and 35 million views respectively on social platform X, trying to connect the riots with radical Islamism and immigration issues.

Elina Treyger, a senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation, a US think tank, pointed out that various forces are actively participating in this "discursive competition" and speculatively exploiting the turmoil within Europe. These external forces are fueling anti-immigration sentiment and subtly pushing European voters to political extremes.