invasion

As tensions between Europe and Russia have risen since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, so too have other incidents of so-called "hybrid" or "grey zone" warfare attributed to Russia, which in most cases denies them.

This creates a tricky situation for Serbia, a candidate for European Union membership and one of the few European countries not to have imposed sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

Its ascendance has contributed to the population decline of various native ladybug species—and more Americans associating ladybugs with infestation and invasion.

In October, Moscow launched its biggest bombing campaign against Ukrainian gas facilities since the start of the 2022 invasion, halting 60 percent of production of the main source of heating fuel.

But Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and China’s move this year to restrict rare-earth exports showed how dependent the continent had become on those countries.