I believe there is some circumstancial evidence that this isn't sabotage. Why use something as powerful as this now. If anything it makes your opponent more aware and the timing actually limits the damage, compared to using it during an actual military confrontation.
Once again Russia attacks the west using asymmetric warfare and unfortunately the west has been unable to respond with appropriate measures to dissuade Russia from these types of attacks. Obviously this is the type of attack a state would use prior to engaging in kinetic force, and while I don’t believe that’s the intent this time, it should be treated as such.
There are no pleasant options for Europe if they want to stop Russian aggression and attacks on their sovereignty. I believe it’s time for Europe (and I would say the US but we all know that’s not going to happen) to take meaningful action to permanently stop Russias capability or willingness to continue waging war against them. To not do so is to capitulate to Russia and slowly but surely lose their sovereignty and way of life.
Very far from confirmed. I just finished reading [0,1] accounts of
atmospheric heat anomalies being touted as a cause - alongside
speculation about cyber-attacks. Something to remember about terrorist
groups and propaganda merchants, is that they'll claim
"responsibility" or otherwise misattribute acts immediately to gain
attention. Often the first thing reported is what sticks in the public
mind.
My childhood was in the 1970s and 80s when the 'Troubles' [0] affected
Britain, Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic. There were a
dizzying number of factions, paramilitaries, volunteer groups,
splinter groups... In those times it was rather common for killings and
other actions to be mis-claimed, or tactically denied, with specious
bomb threats or actual terror acts blamed on a different group. It was
a very complex situation, as smouldering war zones usually are.
Eventually the leaders from various camps developed codewords and
protocols, so that for example the IRA or UVF could message MI5 and
have a bomb warning taken seriously, or properly attributed in
reporting. Many things that happened in those days were not at all
clear cut and remain unknown to this day who really did what. Based
on this I would counter that clarity is the exception.
Did they hack it, or is it someone using Twitter to spread disinformation, claiming credit for the widespread disruption and implicitly "fear us, we have l33t h4cking skills!"...
I don’t even consider cyberattack a possibility since I assume all systems involved are completely airgapped. This was obviously something done from the inside.
