Intensification of Russian anti-Romanian active measures

Active measures are a concept from the doctrine of hybrid warfare and espionage (inherited from the Soviet period and used intensively by the Russian secret services) that combines disinformation, propaganda, political influence and, in its most aggressive forms, acts of physical sabotage and subversion.
All of these are serious aggressions that have been or are being used against Romania. In addition, there are incursions into the country’s territory and our territorial waters by Russian war drones that have struck an apartment building or destroyed commercial vessels. This is an arsenal of war that seriously violates Romania’s sovereignty and, implicitly, that of the European Union and NATO.
Yesterday’s SRI press release concerning the act of sabotage coordinated by Russia that led to the burning of an arms factory in Brașov County (Carfil), however, represents a first.
The country’s main intelligence service, the military intelligence service, the Army, the Interior Ministry and the prosecutors investigating organized crime and terrorism (SRI, DGIA, MApN, MAI and DIICIT) are saying it unanimously and officially, with intelligence and a judicial investigation, so that it may be clear to anyone who might still have confusion and doubts bordering on treason: Russia is carrying out serious aggressions on Romanian territory! These are genuine acts of war against which we have an obligation to defend ourselves together with our allies in NATO and the European Union, with whom, in fact, we have also collaborated in documenting Russia’s acts of sabotage.
This is a turning point in the way Romania relates to Russian aggression. It is clear that until now we have generally adopted moderate political positions and reactions. Beyond a possible intention to avoid escalation, the greater effect was the maintenance of a state of ambiguity in the public sphere. The consequence was that the Kremlin’s propaganda instruments (political leaders, various influencers, media outlets) were encouraged to maintain a state of confusion in public opinion that seriously affected the population’s support for measures to protect and defend the country.
All we can hope for after this moment of clarifying the waters is that our political elites will be more determined in their stance toward Russia, that it will be clearer to the population who the aggressor in this war is, who truly threatens prosperity, freedom and life, that we will realize, at the eleventh hour, what the real costs are for Romania and that we will know how to mobilize ourselves and our allies better in defending the country, which is also NATO and European Union territory.
And perhaps, on this occasion, we will henceforth be more effective in exposing and countering our own “sovereigntists,” who parade, in a kazachok dance step, whether out of opportunism, stupidity or outright treason against their country.