S.C.A.R.E.: Russia’s Asymmetric War Against the West

Russia is waging a silent war against the West—one fought not with tanks and missiles, but through a mix of sabotage, cyberwarfare, assassinations, propaganda, and election interference. This is the world of asymmetric warfare, where Russia engages in covert and deniable attacks to destabilize its enemies while avoiding direct military confrontation. To understand the full scope of this strategy, we break it down using the S.C.A.R.E. framework:

S – Sabotage: Targeting Critical Infrastructure

Russia has a history of targeting essential infrastructure to create economic disruption and fear. This includes:

• The Nord Stream pipeline explosions (2022): Mysterious explosions destroyed sections of Russia’s own gas pipelines to Europe. Was this an attempt to prevent future negotiations or a false-flag operation?

• Undersea cable cuttings (2024-2025): Several incidents damaged undersea internet and power cables in the Baltic Sea, affecting communication between NATO allies.

• Power grid and energy attacks: Russia has previously launched cyberattacks against Ukraine’s power grid, showcasing its capability to plunge entire regions into darkness.

• Industrial and energy coercion: Russia has long used energy as a weapon, threatening gas supply cuts to Europe to exert political influence.

C – Cyberwarfare: Hacking Governments, Businesses, and Infrastructure

Russia is one of the world’s most aggressive actors in cyberwarfare, with well-documented attacks on governments, corporations, and infrastructure:

• NotPetya cyberattack (2017): A devastating malware attack initially targeting Ukraine but rapidly spreading worldwide, costing businesses billions of dollars.

• SolarWinds hack (2020): Russian-backed hackers infiltrated U.S. government agencies, corporate networks, and key supply chains.

• Election system breaches: Russia-linked hackers have attempted to access voting systems in multiple Western countries.

• Targeting Western banks and businesses: Financial systems remain vulnerable to state-backed Russian cyberattacks.

These cyber tactics allow Russia to inflict massive damage without firing a single bullet while maintaining plausible deniability.

For decades, countries like Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania were tied to Russia’s power grid—a system built during the Soviet Union. But in recent years, they’ve been working hard to break free and join Europe’s power network instead. This shift isn’t just about electricity; it’s about independence, security, and even war.

Ukraine’s Big Switch—And Russia’s Invasion

On February 24, 2022, Ukraine made a bold move: they disconnected from Russia’s power grid for the first time to test their ability to operate independently. That same day, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Was the timing a coincidence? Maybe not. Being connected to Russia’s grid gave Moscow leverage over Ukraine, allowing them to cut power or cause blackouts. Ukraine’s move toward energy independence weakened that leverage, so Russia attacked before Ukraine could fully join Europe’s grid.

Despite the war, Ukraine successfully linked up with Europe’s power grid (ENTSO-E) just a few weeks later in March 2022. This gave them access to European electricity and reduced Russia’s ability to disrupt their power supply.

The Baltic States Cut the Cord

Now, in 2025, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have finally disconnected from Russia’s power grid for good and fully joined the European grid. This is a huge step for their security.

For years, these countries worried that Russia could use its control over their electricity as a weapon—shutting off power or even launching cyberattacks on their infrastructure. By switching to Europe’s grid, the Baltic states protect themselves from Russian energy blackmail and reduce the risk of power disruptions.

Why It’s Not as Simple as Flipping a Switch

Some might wonder, why didn’t they switch sooner? The answer is it’s not that easy.

• Different Technologies: Russia’s grid operates differently from Europe’s. Switching over means rebuilding parts of the power system so they work with the European network.
• Balancing Power Supply: Power grids need to stay perfectly balanced—too much or too little electricity at any time can cause massive blackouts. Making sure everything is stable takes careful planning.
• Russia’s Interference: Russia strongly opposed these moves because it loses influence over these countries when they switch.

Does This Hurt Russia?

Not really. The Russian power grid is huge, and losing Ukraine and the Baltic states doesn’t cause major damage to their electricity supply. However, it does hurt Russia strategically because they can no longer use energy as a weapon against these countries.

A Win for Energy Security

By cutting ties with Russia’s grid and joining Europe’s, Ukraine and the Baltic states have taken big steps toward energy security and independence. They are now less vulnerable to Russian cyberattacks, power cutoffs, and energy blackmail—giving them one less thing to worry about as they stand against Russian aggression.

This is more than just an energy decision—it’s a step toward freedom from Russian influence and a stronger, more secure future.

In the past few years, there has been a lot of talk about U.S.-funded biolabs in Ukraine. Some people believe these labs were secretly making biological weapons, but the truth is much simpler—and very different from what Russia wants you to believe.

What Are These Labs Really For?

The United States has worked with Ukraine for years to help build and improve biological research laboratories. These labs study diseases like anthrax and other dangerous viruses to help Ukraine detect and stop outbreaks. This is part of a program called the Biological Threat Reduction Program (BTRP), which helps countries secure dangerous pathogens so they don’t accidentally spread or get stolen.

I visited one of these lab sites in downtown Kyiv.  It is a veterinary hospital surrounded by high-rise apartment buildings.  Nobody would be stupid enough to build a dangerous bioweapons lab in a residential area.  There was virtually no security, either, beyond a short wrought-iron fence.  The doors were unlocked.  The US gave 2 million dollars to this lab to help them upgrade their technology to discern whether a toxin was naturally occurring or had been weaponized.  Purely defensive.

You can watch that video here:

This program is not unique to Ukraine—the U.S. has helped many countries worldwide, including Georgia, Kazakhstan, and even Russia (before relations soured). The goal is to prevent bioweapons, not create them.