Russia summons Belgian ambassador after accusations of hybrid attacks

O Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs today called on Belgium's ambassador to Moscow, Michel Gerebtzoff, to protest alleged "unfounded" Brussels charges of hybrid Moscow attacks.

“ The Belgian diplomat was informed that the Russian side categorically rejects the unfounded and increasingly frequent accusations of the political-military summit of the kingdom about increasing hybrid threats, sabotage and direct military threats against Belgium and Europe, supposedly from Russia,” the Russian Chancellery said in a statement.

According to Moscow, the “aggressive” statements of some Belgian authorities, which present Russia as “an enemy”, contribute to a further escalation of the situation and threaten to lead it to a state of uncontrolledness.

“ The Belgian side is urged to assess the consequences of such statements and to reduce the intensity of anti-russian rhetoric, which is further fuelling tensions on the European continent”, concludes the official note.

The Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken stated at the end of September that security services investigated dozens of suspicious incidents in Belgium and have strong evidence that Russia is responsible for several of them.

“In fact, there were incidents. Take, for example, the proven cases of drones on sensitive sites,” said Francken in the podcast Het Rapport van de Wetstraat, quoted by the Belgian press.

“ Our security services and the prosecution are investigating these incidents. In some cases, there are very strong indications of Russian involvement. And we've already been attacked. Just think of the numerous cyberattacks against our facilities,” he said.

He also pointed out Belgian support for Ukraine — a country where Russia is stuck in a war of friction after the invasion of 2022 — as the main reason behind the hybrid attacks.

“The goal? To cause instability through sabotage and influence on public opinion,” he stressed, warning that the Belgian army must prepare for further confrontations with Russia.

With the Kremlin being accused of several similar incidents in other European countries, namely Germany, on 28 September the EU Defence Ministers first discussed a new emergency protocol to respond to Russian hybrid threats, including sabotage, airspace violations and criminal fires.

Theo Francken described Russia as the biggest threat to Belgian security and defended stronger air defenses with Ukrainian technology against Russian jet drones.

He also said that hybrid warfare is not something Moscow started two years ago, but has been practicing for 50 years.