Russia threat exposes Europe’s infrastructure risks

Significance

Critical infrastructure is an attractive target, given the difficulty of attributing such attacks and the lack of immediate fatalities, which reduces the likelihood of escalation or retaliation. It includes energy assets, onshore and offshore, plus transport and data systems.

Impacts

• With around 75% of northern hemisphere cables passing through or near Irish waters, Ireland is more vulnerable to undersea cable attacks.
• An attack on nuclear infrastructure would damage public and investor support for nuclear power in the post-hdyrocarbons energy mix.
• Attacks attributed to Russian actors have mostly happened in retaliation to the West’s policies against Russia, such as imposing sanctions.