How hybrid tactics targeted NATO allies in 2024: drones, explosive packages, sabotage
When mysterious drones began appearing on oil rigs and wind farms off the coast of Norway about three years ago, officials weren't sure where they came from.But “we knew what they were doing,” said Stale Ulriksen, a researcher at the Royal Norwegian Naval Academy, in a recent interview. “Part of it was espionage, where they are tracking a lot of things. Partly, I think, it was about positioning oneself in the event of war or deep crisis."The drones were suspected to have been launched from Russian-controlled ships in the North Sea, Ulriksen said, including some ships that were near underwater energy pipelines. Norway could not do much to stop them, he added, as they were flying over international waters.In recent weeks, reports of drone swarms on the US East Coast have brought fears of hyb...