Austrian Defense Minister Calls Blackouts In EU Matter Of Time

Austrian Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner said in an interview on Tuesday that parts of the European Union faced imminent power outages as a result of the Ukrainian conflict.

"The possibility of blackouts in parts of the European Union is very high. The question is not whether they will happen but when they will happen," Tanner told the German daily Die Welt.

The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has exacerbated the risk of power outages, she claimed, because Russian hackers now have the European electrical grid in their sights.

"We should not pretend that it is only a suggestion. Austria and Europe must prepare for blackouts," the minister said.