Russian submarines and spy ships appearing near vital undersea data cables that carry massive amounts of global communications have U.S. officials concerned that the country could threaten to cut the lines in a crisis, crippling the backbone of most of the global Internet.
Cyber attacks between Russia and Ukraine have already occurred, but have reportedly been limited in scope. However, with the propaganda war ramping up and tensions increasing, a threat of a large-scale cyber war looms over the region, just as the threat of a ground war continues.