Russia is responsible for at least several incidents within Belgium's borders, according to Defence Minister Theo Francken (N-VA).
The Defence Ministry and security services have investigated dozens of incidents in Belgium and have strong indications that Russia is responsible for several of them, Francken said on the podcast Het Rapport van de Wetstraat.
“There have indeed been incidents. Take, for example, the proven drone incidents over sensitive sites," Francken said. "Our security services and the public prosecutor’s office are investigating these incidents. In some cases, there are very strong indications that the Russians are involved. And we have already been attacked. Just think of the countless cyber-attacks on our facilities.”
Due to the ongoing investigations and operational security, Francken said he can not disclose which incidents he refers to, nor what type of evidence the Defence Ministry has for Russia's involvement.
He refers to Belgian support for Ukraine, where Russia is bogged down in a war of attrition after invading the country in 2022, as the main reason behind the hybrid attacks. “The aim? To cause instability through sabotage and influencing public opinion."
He added that the Belgian army should be readied for more confrontations with Russia.
“Are all our aircraft and troops ready yet? Well, there are rules and timings to consider… Just to be clear, we’re not quite there yet.”
