This should entail ensuring the security of vital facilities to brace for cyber attacks, including Russian acts of sabotage, it said.
Speaking in the European Parliament on Tuesday, Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson said the EU executive had issued recommendations to member states on cyber defence and critical infrastructure protection.
She urged member states to implement these recommendations.
Johansson told EU lawmakers that Russia was waging a hybrid war against Europe, public broadcaster Polish Radio’s IAR news agency reported.
She cited recent incidents including an "act of sabotage" against the Nord Stream gas pipeline and a "strike" on Germany’s railway system.
“Unknown perpetrators paralysed rail traffic in northern Germany, disrupting rail links to the Netherlands and Denmark by cutting fibre optic communication cables," Johansson said.
She added that "the attackers are so far unknown, but the message is clear: We know where you are weak. We know where to strike, any time we like.”
She reiterated that the EU "utterly condemns" such "acts of sabotage."
“We will not be intimidated. We will not tolerate these wanton attacks. We will defend ourselves,” Johansson stressed.
'No country in Europe is safe': Polish MEP
Speaking at the European Parliament sitting, Polish conservative MEP Joachim Brudziński referred to an incident a week ago in which two Polish citizens died when “a Russia-made missile” caused an explosion outside the southeastern Polish village of Przewodów, about 6 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, according to the Polish foreign ministry.
Poland and other Western states have said it was a Ukrainian air defence missile that went astray in pursuit of a Russian rocket.
"What we are witnessing today in Ukraine is the barbarism of Putin's hatchet men, who, unable to defeat Ukrainian soldiers on the battlefield, have resorted to attacks on civilian and critical infrastructure, which brings about a virtual lockdown to most Ukrainian major cities,” Brudziński said.
“All this should make us realise that no country in Europe is safe in the face of the Russian dictator’s actions," he added.
(mo/gs)
Source: IAR, ec.europa.eu
Click on the "Play" button above for an audio report by Radio Poland’s Michał Owczarek.
