NATO’s Military Committee Chair says the alliance is “prepared” for a “false flag” attack by Russia

NATO is prepared for a potential escalation and has military plans to defend its eastern flank, Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, chairman of the Alliance’s Military Committee, said in Copenhagen during a meeting of NATO’s 32 most senior military commanders.

“The Alliance is ready, the structure is ready, the military personnel and weapons are ready,” Dragone said, as quoted by Politico. He added that NATO continues to strengthen its forces, both numerically and in terms of their level of sophistication.

The official said the Alliance has approximately 4,000 pages of plans for defending its eastern flank, based on scenarios ranging from a limited crisis to an incursion into NATO territory. In the event of an attack, the allies know what measures they need to take, he added.

The statements were made amid increasingly frequent warnings about a possible Russian provocation. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has claimed that Moscow could send drones or missiles into a NATO state in the coming months to test the Alliance’s response. France and the Netherlands have likewise pointed to similar risks. Europe has recently reported airspace violations and attempted acts of sabotage.