Investigation into Russia's hybrid warfare waged across Europe. Drone surveillance over strategic installations, cyberattacks, sabotage, espionage, and disinformation. Taking Switzerland as a case in point – a strategic country in the heart of Europe – this investigation pulls back the curtain on the various channels used by Russian services to destabilize our democracies. Threatening, testing and sowing seeds of doubt: these are the Kremlin's strategies to shake the old continent to its core. Are we ready for the day when the threat could turn into a full-blown attack? For Boris Bondarev, a former diplomat now living under the watchful eye of security services, old Europe is already dead.

Filming Locations

Aargau, Lauenburg (German-Swiss border, hub of the European electricity network).

Norway (dam victim of cyberattack)Copenhagen, Denmark (airport blocked by drones)Warsaw, Poland Leipzig, Germany (airport, attempted aircraft sabotage)Baltic Sea (sabotage of undersea cables).

Main Contributors

Ulrike Franke, German security and defense expert, drone specialist.
Stéphane Gendre, drone expert, consultant for the Swiss army and police forcesNoel Grabber, spokesperson for Swissgrid.

Boris Bondarev, former Russian diplomat who defected in 2022.

Denis Froidevaux, crisis management specialist, Swiss army.

Christophe Gerber, CEO of Delta SecurityAtlas Tangen, head of cyber operations for the Norwegian intelligence service.

Key Issues 

Proliferation of Russian hybrid attacks in Europe: drone overflights, cyberattacks and espionage targeting critical infrastructure.
Policies aimed at destabilizing European democracies.
Vulnerability of Swiss strategic installations to threats and inadequate detection and protection capabilities.
Lack of collective awareness and insufficient preparation for this hybrid warfare.

Key Figures

Over 260 cyberattacks against critical infrastructure in Switzerland in nine months.
7 million liters of water released during the cyberattack on a Norwegian dam.

Quotes

Boris Bondarev: "Russia wants Europe to stop helping Ukraine. To achieve this, it must either frighten you into giving up or render you completely dysfunctional".

Denis Froidevaux: "If tomorrow a state decides to paralyze Switzerland's infrastructure, there's a good chance it will succeed, at least partially.