Nato is considering pre-emptive action against Russia following a series of hybrid attacks on Europe, a senior alliance official has warned. Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, chair of the Nato Military Committee, said the alliance may need to adopt a more aggressive approach to deter Moscow from continuing its campaign of drone incursions and cyber attacks.
A Financial Times investigation revealed that Nato has been on high alert after three vessels in the Baltic Sea were accused of dragging their anchors to damage energy and communication cables, with 11 incidents recorded. Other incidents include frequent cyber attacks on European countries and Russian drone incursions into Nato airspace.
Admiral Dragone told the FT that Nato is studying all options. “On cyber, we are kind of reactive. Being more aggressive, or being proactive instead of reactive, is something that we are thinking about,” he said. He acknowledged that a pre-emptive strike would be unusual for Nato but could be considered defensive action, despite being “further away from our normal way of thinking and behaviour”.
In January, Nato launched Operation Baltic Sentry to patrol the region and deter possible Russian attacks, increasing patrol aircraft, warships and drones. Admiral Dragone said this deterrence is working, as nothing has happened since the operation began. However, concerns remain, as a Finnish court recently dismissed a case against a shadow-fleet crew that damaged undersea cables in international waters.
Russia condemned Admiral Dragone’s remarks as “extremely irresponsible”. Foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said they represent a deliberate attempt to undermine efforts to overcome the Ukrainian crisis, warning of risks and consequences for alliance members.
