Lithuanian MEP urges scrutiny of Russian House in Cyprus over hybrid threats

Nicosia, Cyprus. The operation of Russian House in Cyprus should be examined as part of Europe’s response to Russian hybrid threats, Lithuanian MEP and former defence minister Rasa Juknevičienė has said. She warned that such threats are not confined to countries bordering Russia.

Scrutiny of centres across Europe

Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency (CNA), Juknevičienė referred specifically to Russian House in Cyprus and similar centres operating elsewhere in Europe.

Citing public assessments by Estonian intelligence services, she said such centres could be used by Russian intelligence services and questioned whether EU member states were taking the potential threat seriously enough.

Juknevičienė, an EPP MEP, was rapporteur for the European Parliament report on hybrid warfare and the protection of the EU’s territorial integrity and critical security and defence infrastructure. The report was adopted during September’s plenary session.

Threats across the EU

She said hybrid threats concerned the entire EU, although they were more immediately visible on its eastern flank.

According to Juknevičienė, military officials in NATO countries have conveyed the message that “no capital in the EU is safe today”, with Russia possessing capabilities that could reach across Europe.

“This is not only about regional defence, it is about our common European defence,” she said.

Europe could never achieve “100 per cent preparedness” because circumstances and methods were constantly changing, she said, pointing to the war in Ukraine and the growing importance of drones, air defence and long-range weapons.

Hybrid operations and online influence

Hybrid operations could include sabotage, arson, cyberattacks, signal jamming, drone incursions, explosives and disinformation, Juknevičienė said.

She also highlighted the use of social media, YouTube, bloggers and networks of fake accounts to amplify tensions within European societies, including over migration, and potentially influence electoral processes.