NATO's intelligence warned that there is a 'significant risk' that Russia could attack critical infrastructure in Europe or North America, such as internet cables and gas pipelines, as part of its conflict with the West over Ukraine.

Russia is 'actively mapping' the allies' infrastructure on land and under the sea, according to David Cattler, the assistant secretary general of NATO for intelligence and security and may utilise 'considerable resources' from Moscow's military and civilian intelligence agencies to monitor infrastructure, 'including the use of civilian ships and so-called spy ships,' Cattler stated.
After the Nord Stream pipeline explosions in the fall of 2022, made it clear how difficult it is to track and identify intruders, NATO members have been rushing to better protect critical undersea infrastructure. According to Cattler, the infrastructure carries ' a total of estimated 10 trillion US dollars worth of financial transactions every day, so these cables really are an economic linchpin.'  He cautioned that the ability to undermine the security of Western banking, energy, and internet networks was becoming a tremendous strategic advantage for NATO's opponents.