For much of the past decade, Europe has been viewed as a relatively stable theatre for international travel and business operations. Yet beneath the surface, a form of quiet conflict is taking shape. Hybrid tactics, cyber intrusions, drone overflights, sabotage, GPS jamming, and disinformation are increasingly being deployed against European states. These activities are unlikely to trigger the headlines associated with large scale war, but they represent a growing category of security risk that travellers cannot ignore.

Recent months point to a clear pattern. In October 2025, Denmark’s intelligence service assessed a “high risk” of sabotage against military sites. Uncrewed aircraft have probed Baltic and North Sea airspace, including approaches to energy and port infrastructure. Civil aviation authorities across northern Europe continue to log GPS interference consistent with hostile EW from neighbouring states. In parallel, coordinated cyber operations against government and transport networks in Poland, Finland, and Latvia have slowed border flows and at points, forced temporary suspensions of air traffic systems

Insurance and Assistance
For the travel insurance sector, hybrid threats expose new weaknesses. Policies might not be designed to accommodate sabotage, cyber outages, or deliberate interference with navigation systems. The result is a grey area where incidents may not clearly fall under any existing clause, leaving insurers and clients uncertain as to where liability lies.

Operationally, the impact is most likely to be indirect but still material. GPS jamming or drone interference can delay or divert commercial flights, stranding passengers. Border slowdowns driven by cyber attacks or political flare-ups can lead to detentions or missed connections. Disinformation campaigns have already sparked protests and civil unrest in several capitals, placing business travellers at unanticipated personal risk. None of these events resemble conventional war, yet each creates real exposure.

Summary
Europe’s ‘quiet war’ won’t make front pages, but it will disrupt travel, blur liability. Insurers and organisations will need to harden support, and plan for a less predictable security environment across Europe.