The Swedish government has accused Russian hackers of attempting to disrupt a thermal power plant in early 2025. While the attack was thwarted by built-in protection mechanisms, it underscores the increasing danger hybrid cyberattacks pose.

Carl-Oskar Bohlin, Sweden’s minister of civil defense, warned that pro-Russian groups are evolving from simple denial-of-service attacks to more destructive tactics against European organizations.

This follows a series of similar incidents: in December 2025, Russia was accused of targeting Poland's power grid; earlier this year, Norwegian dam systems were briefly hijacked. Ukraine also faced widespread disruption to its power grid in 2015, attributed by researchers to Russian hackers operating from afar.

Speaking at a press conference, Bohlin highlighted the risks and warned of ‘reckless’ behavior by cyber attackers. The Swedish government’s inability to confirm attribution adds another layer of complexity to these ongoing threats.