Danish authorities have formally accused the Russian state of orchestrating a series of damaging cyber-attacks, labelling the incidents as definitive proof of an ongoing hybrid conflict targeting Western nations.
Intelligence Points to Russian-Linked Groups
The Danish Defence Intelligence Service (DDIS) announced on Thursday that it has attributed two major cyber incidents to groups connected to Moscow. The first was a destructive attack on a water utility in Køge in December 2024, where a hacker seized control of the system, altered pump pressure, and caused three pipes to burst.
The second involved a wave of distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks aimed at Danish websites in the run-up to the country's municipal and regional council elections in November of the same year.
Thomas Ahrenkiel, the director of the DDIS, stated they are "very certain" the attacks were the work of pro-Russian groups with direct links to the Russian state. The agency identified the perpetrators as the hacking collectives known as Z-Pentest and NoName57(16).
A Campaign to Undermine Western Support
In an official statement, the DDIS asserted that the Russian government uses such groups as instruments in its hybrid war strategy. "The aim is to create insecurity in the targeted countries and to punish those that support Ukraine," the service said.
It further assessed that the Danish elections were exploited as a platform to garner public attention, a tactic observed in several other European nations. Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen condemned the actions as "completely unacceptable," confirming the Russian ambassador would be summoned for a meeting.
"This is very clear evidence that we are now where the hybrid war we have been talking about is unfortunately taking place," Poulsen remarked, highlighting the broader security context in Europe.
Danish Vulnerabilities Exposed
Despite the attacks causing limited physical damage, they have starkly revealed critical vulnerabilities in Denmark's national infrastructure. Torsten Schack Pedersen, the minister for resilience and preparedness, warned that the incidents demonstrate there are hostile forces capable of shutting down vital societal functions.
He delivered a sobering assessment of the country's defensive posture, admitting, "Denmark is not sufficiently equipped to withstand such attacks from Russia." Pedersen added, "I think you have to be incredibly naive if you think we are at the top of cybersecurity."
This latest accusation follows previous Danish claims of hybrid aggression, including a series of drone incursions over Danish airports and military sites in September, which Copenhagen also described as a hybrid attack.
