Europe is unprepared to counteract a new chapter of Russian military and intelligence activities in the Baltic and North Seas, experts have told Al Jazeera. At the same time, they said, a growing rift between European and United States intelligence services is leaving the continent unsupported. Last week's European Union summit was a case in point. Belgium obstructed a plan to use Russian money to finance Ukraine's defence and turbocharge Europe's defence industry.
In late August, Andriy Parubiy was walking down a street in Lviv, western Ukraine, when a man disguised as a delivery driver followed him and suddenly opened fire. The former Ukrainian parliamentary leader was killed in broad daylight with several shots fired. A surveillance camera captured the crime, sending shockwaves throughout the country. A debate is now underway in Ukraine about how politicians, activists, and celebrities have become targets in Russia's hybrid warfare.