In early August 2026, a drone loaded with high-grade Semtex explosives crashed into a Ukrainian military cargo aircraft parked at a German airport.
While the detonator failed to ignite, intelligence experts warn this near-miss is just the tip of the iceberg in Vladimir Putin’s expanding covert campaign across Europe.
In this deep-dive report for Kyiv Post, former US Navy SEAL Chuck Pfarrer breaks down Moscow’s hybrid warfare doctrine – from 2,000 unidentified drones probing NATO airbases and Telegram-recruited “single-use” sabotage agents, to state-sponsored assassinations in broad daylight.
Does Russia’s secret campaign signal an impending direct clash with NATO, or will Europe continue to treat these near-misses as isolated incidents?
Join the debate: Is NATO doing enough to respond to Russian covert operations on European soil, or is Europe ignoring critical warning signs? Share your view in the comments!