ex-American Admiral alerts: Russia could conduct cyber attacks on Kosovo power grid

In an opinion published in “Bloomberg”, Stavridis has said the Kremlin could launch cyber attacks on the power grid in Kosovo.

“Crahas stabilisation forces, NATO must be aware of the use of the so-called hybrid war of Russia. Putin is good at using social media, disinformation campaigns and pro-Russian propaganda to create tensions outside its borders. NATO should use its information networks to expose and reject these false Narrativas. If the Russians decide to freeze the level, they can use cyber attacks against energy networks and other vital targets in Kosovo and non-Serb parts of Bosnia. This would create confusion and increase social discontent. NATO can provide better cyber defence systems for Balkan allies and friends”, retired Admiral Stavridis has warned.

Among other things, he has said the Kremlin is waging an illegal war in Ukraine, but its leader, Vdalmir Putin, has another very attractive goal, which he says is the Western Balkans.

Stavridis says that, although in four Balkan states are NATO members, Russia aims at Serbia, Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The retired US Admiral says Putin is seeking to take advantage of the unfinished history of the former Yugoslavia's breakup.

However, he says, even though Kosovo is not in NATO, there are thousands of NATO peacekeepers in this country. It also says that “Putin is clearly encouraging Serbia to pressure the Kosovo government backed by NATO”.

Stavridis says Putin is also working “to destabilise Bosnia and Herzegovina's wavering government, which is divided into a strange tripartite presidency with a representative of each of the three main ethnic-religious zones”.

The most experienced political actor is Dodik, who is closely linked to Moscow. Even a decade ago, he told me about the need for Republika Srpska's secession, which would effectively destroy the country. His part would then join Serbia itself, creating a larger Serbian state, which Putin would gladly approve of”, the Admiral Stavridis claims in this opinion.

Furthermore, he quoted retired Admiral Mark Montgomery as saying: “This is the same kind of challenge that we faced a decade ago: Putin benefits from mixing the pot elsewhere in Europe, trying to weaken NATO's credibility and to distance us from the support of Ukraine”, Stavridis quoted Montgomery as saying.

For good luck, the West has options. At the moment, the idea of placing NATO battalions in Ukraine is unlikely. In this way, increasing the level of deployed troops in Kosovo now, and preventing the riots Putin is trying to promote, is possible and has strategic meaning. Doing so would be an example of an effective regional division of efforts within the alliance -- NATO countries in the Balkans and neighbourhood (e.g. Greece and Italy can focus on that region. Members of Eastern and Nordic Europe can lead Ukraine's bid. Large countries in the West -- France, Germany, Great Britain and the United States -- have enough resources to be included in both”.