The Swedish government has revealed that hackers affiliated with the Russian government attempted to compromise a thermal power plant in the country last year. Although the attack was thwarted, Swedish officials are increasingly concerned about the growing threat of hybrid attacks that extend beyond cyberspace.
At a recent press conference, Carl-Oskar Bohlin, Sweden’s Minister of Civil Defence, disclosed that the hacking attempt occurred in early 2025 and was attributed to actors with ties to Russian intelligence and security. He noted that pro-Russian groups have evolved from carrying out denial-of-service attacks to more destructive operations targeting European organisations.
While the specific plant involved was not identified, Bohlin explained that the attempted cyber intrusion was successfully averted due to built-in protective measures within the system. He highlighted that this incident exemplifies the hackers’ escalating risk-taking behaviours.
The Russian government has not commented on these allegations. This incident mirrors a troubling trend of Russian-linked cyberattacks on critical infrastructure across Europe, where energy and water systems have increasingly become targets for real-world disruptions.
Prior to the events in Sweden, Russia was accused of trying to compromise Poland’s power grid in December 2025. Earlier that year, hackers briefly took control of a dam in Norway, leading to significant flooding before they were expelled from the systems. Additionally, a January 2024 cyberattack on a municipal energy company in Lviv, Ukraine, left numerous apartments without heating during harsh winter weather, with suspicions pointing towards Russian hackers—though attribution remains unconfirmed.
Historically, Russia has been blamed for significant cyber disruptions, including a notable attack that affected Ukraine’s power grid in 2015. The persistence and sophistication of these cyber threats underline a troubling pattern of aggression targeting essential public infrastructure in Europe.
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