Missile Strikes: Is Europe Ready for Russia's Shadow War?

Last week, Ukraine fired British-made Storm Shadow missiles at Russia, drawing a furious response from Vladimir Putin. Russia retaliated by firing a ballistic missile at the Ukrainian city of Dnipro and threatening to attack countries that supply Kyiv with long-range weapons, like the UK and US. This escalation has brought a long-running clandestine struggle into the open. Since the war began, Russia has been using sabotage, cyber-attacks, and other covert methods to disrupt western support for Ukraine.

This shadow war, fought on land, in the air, and online, is reminiscent of the Cold War tensions during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Western leaders have been trying to contain the conflict, but Putin sees it as an existential battle against NATO. Russia's recent actions, like cutting undersea internet cables and foiling assassination plots, show that their covert operations are intensifying. Western countries are now wondering how to respond to this growing threat.

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