SIPRI 90d ago

Amid growing geopolitical uncertainty, countries such as Japan and the Nordic-Baltic states are facing an increasing range of maritime security challenges. In this SIPRI Conversations video, Dr Jiayi Zhou, Senior Researcher within SIPRI’s Conflict, Peace and Security research area, discusses the nature of maritime hybrid threats and why they are becoming more frequent, complex and difficult to respond to. She explains how activities such as sabotage of undersea infrastructure, cyberattacks, GPS interference and the use of shadow fleets occur below the threshold of open conflict. The conversation also highlights the challenges of attribution and the difficulty of formulating effective responses without escalating tensions. The conversation is based on an event hosted by SIPRI in February 2026, which brought together experts and policymakers to examine maritime hybrid threats in the Indo-Pacific and Nordic-Baltic regions and explore opportunities for enhanced cooperation. About SIPRI Conversations: The SIPRI Conversations series is a collection of conversational-style interviews in which Stephanie Blenckner, SIPRI Director of Communications, talks to a range of experts on topics related to conflict, peace and security. The aim of the series is to highlight issues pertaining to peace and security from an insider's perspective and provide further insight into the projects, methodologies and data that SIPRI experts work with. Music by Luciano Music Co., Premium Beat. https://www.sipri.org/Follow: https://twitter.com/SIPRIorgLike: https://www.facebook.com/sipri.orgConnect: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sipri