Switzerland Adopts Security Strategy to Counter Hybrid Threats

The Swiss Federal Council has approved a comprehensive new security strategy aimed at bolstering national defense capabilities, safeguarding critical infrastructure, and preparing the country against hybrid and standoff attacks amid deteriorating European security conditions driven by Russia’s war against Ukraine. According to Anadolu Agency on Sept.18, the Swiss government stated that the global security landscape has grown increasingly volatile and unpredictable.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Bern has identified escalating great-power rivalries, regional armed conflicts, the degradation of the international rules-based order, and a surge in hostile cyber operations and foreign influence campaigns as primary catalysts for the policy overhaul. Swiss authorities underscored that an end to Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine remains nowhere in sight, while hybrid threats targeting European democracies continue to multiply and intensify across physical and digital domains. Partner defense cooperation The updated blueprint sets out 10 strategic goals and 46 specific operational measures. Under the framework, Switzerland plans to substantially elevate the resilience of state institutions, the domestic economy, and civil society, while systematically curbing critical external dependencies. The strategy prioritizes reinforced protections for the civilian populace, constitutional bodies, and vital supply networks. A central pillar of the new posture involves expanding conventional defense capabilities. The document mandates that the Swiss armed forces must maintain operational readiness to deter and counter potential armed aggression, directing defense planners to establish pre-arranged cooperative mechanisms with partner nations well before an active crisis erupts. Other Topics of Interest US Approves $2.68B Air Defense Equipment Sale to Ukraine The sale of air defense upgrades, missiles, and radar systems to Ukraine is funded by European aid and US financing. Federal authorities stressed that special focus must be directed toward the threats deemed most probable in the contemporary threat environment, specifically state-sponsored hybrid warfare, long-range standoff strikes, and transnational organized crime networks. Implementation of several strategic measures has already commenced across federal departments. The State Secretariat for Security Policy (SEPOS) will oversee and coordinate execution of the blueprint, with the Swiss Federal Council scheduled to receive its first comprehensive progress report by the end of 2028. Alignment with EU sanctions The adoption of the defense blueprint marks another milestone in Switzerland’s calibrated departure from strict historical neutrality in response to Moscow’s aggression on the continent. In recent years, Bern has moved in lockstep with the EU to implement consecutive economic sanctions targeting Russia’s military-industrial complex, energy revenues, and banking apparatus. The Swiss government has enacted a total ban on the purchase and import of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) in February, aligning domestic regulations with the EU’s 19th sanctions package to curtail fossil fuel revenues financing the Kremlin’s war effort. Alongside the energy restrictions, Swiss authorities prohibited domestic financial intermediaries from providing cryptocurrency services to Russian nationals and legal entities, while barring transactions involving ruble-backed crypto assets. Bern has also expanded its statutory export control lists to restrict shipments of specialized industrial metals and advanced manufacturing components utilized in Russian weapon systems and domestic fuel production. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.