In its annual report, the MIVD said the attack, which it did not further identify, caused no physical damage but marked a threshold breach. Russian actors also tried to disrupt Dutch political‑party websites ahead of the 2024 European elections, aiming to hinder voters’ access to information.
The service expects intensified espionage and cyber operations even if the war in Ukraine ends. “Geopolitical certainties we once relied on are eroding at unprecedented speed,” MIVD chief Peter Reesink told reporters. Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans said the country now operates in a “grey zone between war and peace,” urging rapid reinforcement of military and defense‑industrial capacity.
The Netherlands is an attractive target for Moscow, analysts say, citing Dutch military aid to Kyiv, Rotterdam’s critical port infrastructure, a world‑class high‑tech sector and North Sea energy and data cables that Russia has tried to map.
MIVD added that Russia’s influence campaigns increasingly use artificial intelligence to amplify pro‑Kremlin narratives on social media.
(jh)
Source: PAP