Press conference: Denmark warns of potential water and electricity crises, and Russia will escalate its hybrid war.

Danish authorities held a press conference in Copenhagen on Thursday to present a new assessment of the Russian threat, as security and intelligence agencies warned of an expected escalation of Russian hybrid attacks, and the Danish Community Security Agency raised the threat level from destructive cyberattacks to "high".

The new assessments showed that the risk is not only related to the possibility of a military attack, but also includes essential sectors on which the population depends daily, including electricity, water, energy, transportation and digital infrastructure.

A threat that could extend to water, electricity, and basic services

The Danish Community Security Agency (SAMSIK) has announced that it has raised the threat level from destructive cyberattacks from "medium" to "high," the second highest level in its five-level threat scale.

The agency believes that Russia is likely to attempt to carry out devastating cyberattacks against Denmark, especially given the defense intelligence assessment that Moscow will intensify its hybrid warfare against the West and NATO in the coming months.

Authorities do not rule out that these attacks could affect vital functions upon which society depends, including the water, energy and other infrastructure sectors, as destructive cyberattacks can disrupt operational systems, damage data or affect critical facilities.

Denmark is strengthening protections for the water sector.

Denmark has already begun tightening security measures in the water sector, following a new FE assessment regarding the possibility of Russia escalating its hybrid warfare.

The measures include strengthening cybersecurity and physical security, along with expanding preparedness for water crises, with the aim of enabling the sector to resume operations as quickly as possible in the event of a major incident.

The Danish water sector includes around 2,500 water supply companies and slightly more than 100 wastewater treatment companies.

Environment Minister Maria Reumert Gjerding confirmed that Denmark is facing a new security situation, and that the government continues to work on strengthening preparedness and security in the water sector.

The electricity and energy sector is raising its readiness level.

In the energy sector, the Danish Energy Authority has asked all energy companies to tighten their security measures following the release of the new defense intelligence assessment.

The measures include updating emergency plans, conducting drills, and enhancing staff's ability to detect and report suspicious behavior, as well as reporting unusual incidents.

Deputy Director of the Energy Authority, Iben Møller Søndergård, said that the energy and supply sector is of great importance to society, and therefore its facilities must be protected and prepared to restore supplies as quickly as possible if they are attacked or involved in an accident.

The Danish energy sector has been operating at a high level of readiness since May 2025, including electricity, gas, oil and central heating companies.

What can cyberattacks do?

SAMSIK explains that one possible form of attack is «Wiper» attacks, which aim to delete or damage data so that it becomes unusable or unrecoverable.

Attackers can also target operational technology, attempting to manipulate systems that control operations and facilities, potentially leading to devastating consequences.

The agency warns that such attacks, if they target vital functions, could cause damage that extends beyond the digital realm to the infrastructure and services upon which the population depends.

Russia will increase hybrid attacks in the coming months.

The Danish Defence Intelligence Service (FE) concluded in its new assessment that Russia will escalate its hybrid war against NATO and the West in the coming months, through more frequent attacks and with greater impact on the targeted countries.

FE said these activities could include destructive cyberattacks with serious consequences for vital functions, along with acts of sabotage that could involve the risk of people being injured.

A Russian invasion remains unlikely.

At the same time, Danish assessments do not say that Russia is currently preparing to invade a NATO member state.

FE believes the likelihood of Russia launching a limited military attack against a NATO member state remains low, but is increasing. A full-scale military invasion of a NATO member state remains unlikely, but intelligence says it can no longer completely rule it out.

FE estimates that Russia would need at least six months to prepare and organize its forces to carry out a large-scale invasion operation.

Defense Minister: The situation is serious and the repercussions could reach Denmark.

Defense Minister Jeppe Bruus said during the press conference that the security situation was serious, and that the government had presented the new assessment to the public because of the importance of providing as much transparency as possible.

Bruce stressed that Danes should trust the authorities, but at the same time urged them to be prepared, attentive, and to take the security situation seriously.

He explained that the assessment does not refer to a military attack on the Kingdom of Denmark, but rather to a broader development in the level of threats facing Western countries.

The head of intelligence warns of the difficulty in identifying the perpetrators of the attacks.

FE President Thomas Ahrenkiel confirmed that hybrid attacks can be difficult to track because the party behind them can try to hide its responsibility.

He noted that Russia could use different forms of operations, including targeting infrastructure linked to support provided to Ukraine.

Authorities establish new readiness for transporting supplies

Security concerns also prompted the Ministry of Cities, Rural Affairs and Transport to create a new preparedness forum in the freight transport sector.

The forum aims to ensure the continued flow of vital supplies in the event of a major crisis in society, including food, medicine and other essential goods.

The move comes as part of a broader trend to enhance the ability of vital sectors to continue operating even in the event of major infrastructure attacks or malfunctions.

The warning does not mean a power or water outage.

Despite the heightened preparations, raising the threat level does not mean that authorities currently expect power or water outages in Denmark.

The implication is that the authorities see an increased likelihood of attempts to carry out destructive attacks, and therefore, the protection of vital sectors is being strengthened and preparations are underway to quickly restore services in the event of an attack.

Official assessments indicate that the current threat is focused specifically on hybrid warfare, and not on any indications of an imminent Russian invasion of Denmark.