The Quest to Uncover Russia's Shadow War on the West

About this episode

The episode discusses Russia's shadow war against the West and features an interview with expert Benjamin Schmitt on his experiences tracking sabotage attempts.

Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, it has also escalated a shadow war against the West. Using cyberattacks, destruction of property, arson, assassinations, and information operations, Russian agents sow chaos and fear, while probing and testing capabilities and responses in the event of a broader full-scale war. In a wide-ranging conversation, host Bakhti Nishanov talks to shadow war and energy expert Benjamin Schmitt about his experiences tracking Russia's sabotage attempts across the globe. They delve into Schmitt's quest to show the world how Russia's actions affect the lives and livelihoods of people throughout the West, a journey that has taken him from Chile to the Arctic to the Baltic Sea and beyond. Read "Underwater Mayhem: Countering Threats to Energy and Critical Infrastructure Across the NATO Alliance and Beyond," here: https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/subsea-sabotage-protecting-energy-infrastructure-from-hostile-aggression/ --- Benjamin L. Schmitt is a senior fellow at the University of Pennsylvania, where he holds a joint academic appointment with the Department of Physics and Astronomy and the Kleinman Center for Energy…

People in this episode

Host: Bakhti Nishanov

Guest: Benjamin Schmitt

Topics covered

• Russia
• shadow war
• cyberattacks
• energy policy
• sabotage
• Ukraine invasion

Keywords

• Russia
• shadow war
• cyberattacks
• energy infrastructure
• sabotage
• Ukraine
• Benjamin Schmitt

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Pennsylvania, Perry World House

Books & works: Underwater Mayhem: Countering Threats to Energy and Critical Infrastructure Across the NATO Alliance and Beyond

Places: Ukraine, Chile, Arctic, Baltic Sea

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