Last week’s escalation of Nato ballistic missile activity, in which UK and US-made missiles were launched into Russia for the first time, brought a predictably cold response from Vladimir Putin – who loosened Moscow’s nuclear doctrines and promised more attacks with a new, experimental ballistic missile.
It’s no great surprise to see a rhetorical and military uptick as both Russia and Ukraine jostle for position in the likely war endgame that a Trump US presidency could bring. At the same time, though, the west continues to feel a persistent but more insidious Russian threat.
The unexplained severing of undersea data cables in the Baltic sea last week, along with a cargo plane crash in Lithuania on Monday, are just two events that Europe views suspiciously in the light of wider Russian activity. Sabotage, arson and deniable cyber-attacks are all part of a pattern of hybrid warfare waged by Moscow against its enemies since the start of the Ukraine invasion.
For this week’s big story, Simon Tisdall surveys the scene and asks whether Europe can withstand a likely ramping up of Putin’s shadow war. Dan Milmo looks at why undersea cables are a particular security vulnerability, and Dan Sabbagh asks what the increased use of intermediate-range missiles means for the remainder of the war in Ukraine.
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Five essential reads in this week’s edition
1
Spotlight | Does lame duck Biden have time to Trump-proof democracy?
The outgoing US president may only have weeks left in the White House, but activists say he can secure civil liberties, accelerate spending on climate and healthcare, and spare death row prisoners. David Smith reports
2
Science | My weird, emotional week with an AI pet
Casio says Moflin can develop its own personality and build a rapport with its owner – and it doesn’t need food, exercise or a litter tray. But is it essentially comforting or alienating? Justin McCurry finds out
3
Feature | Are we right to strive to save the world’s tiniest babies?
Doctors are pushing the limits of science and human biology to save more extremely premature babies than ever before. But when so few survive, are we putting them through needless suffering? By Sophie McBain
4
Opinion | A social media ban is in everyone’s interests – not just kids under 16
Van Badham on why she resents being excluded from protection against monetised fear, anger and toxicity
5
Culture | A road trip like no other: an epic drive on the Autobahn
Fifty years after electronic pioneers Kraftwerk released a 23-minute song about a road – and changed pop music for ever – Tim Jonze hits the highways of Düsseldorf and Hamburg in search of its futuristic brilliance
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What else we’ve been reading
Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky was Austria’s first female architect, an activist and resistance fighter but is most well known for being the inventor of the fitted kitchen. Marking the recent reconstruction of Schütte-Lihotzky’s own kitchen – now open for public view in Vienna – is this celebration of her remarkable life’s work.
Emily El Nusairi, deputy production editor
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Other highlights from the Guardian website
• Audio | Cop29’s controversial deal – podcast
• Video | Storm Bert brings significant flooding to UK
• Gallery | A nostalgic photographic road trip across Australia
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