Russia cyberattack nearly left Poland without electricity last month

According to Krzysztof Gawkowski, numerous cyberattacks targeted Poland’s energy sector at the end of 2025, making the situation difficult to control, particularly due to adverse weather conditions. He said Poland faced its most serious attack on energy infrastructure to date, with the apparent goal of cutting electricity supplies to citizens in late December, describing the incidents as sabotage by Russia and warning that the country came close to a blackout.

Earlier, Polish Energy Minister Miłosz Motyka reported that an unsuccessful cyberattack hit several electricity-generating facilities in the final days of 2025. Gawkowski stressed that Polish institutions are well prepared and said there is no reason for public panic.

Russia has been carrying out active cyber operations across Europe. According to the European Commission, such attacks occur daily and target critical infrastructure, including energy, banking, and healthcare systems, as well as efforts to destabilize societies.

Russian cyber activity has also affected the United States. In November, a cyberattack linked to Russia targeted municipal infrastructure. Two months earlier, hackers infiltrated the networks of a US engineering company working with contractors in water supply, transport systems, and emergency response, gaining access to internal processes and permission levels tied to the management of critical facilities.