Mark Rutte warns of Russian hybrid attacks and calls for greater support for Ukraine

NATO is prepared to respond to cyberattacks and other forms of hybrid warfare attributed to Russia, the Alliance’s Secretary General Mark Rutte said Thursday in New York during a ceremony commemorating the September 11, 2001 attacks. He called on allies to step up support for Ukraine in order to send Moscow a firm message after each incident.

“Russia is intensifying its cyber and other activities, but NATO is prepared for this,” Rutte said, according to AFP, cited by Agerpres. The Secretary General said the Alliance has response options to counter hybrid threats and maintain its deterrence capability.

The statements come at a time when European countries are on alert over possible attempts at Russian interference amid the war in Ukraine. Denmark’s military intelligence service has warned that Moscow could intensify hybrid attacks against Western targets. A Russian invasion of a NATO country is considered possible, but unlikely.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk recently pointed to hybrid threats, including drone and missile attacks. Poland has repeatedly accused Russia of acts of sabotage since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022.