NATO deputy commander warns Russia of escalating hybrid warfare as Putin becomes more unscrupulous

Russia has recently frequently launched "gray zone" hybrid wars against European countries, and European countries are currently stepping up their alerts and fully escalating their war preparations. Sir John Stringer, deputy commander of NATO Allied Command Europe and RAF General Sir John Stringer, said on the 22nd that as the war in Ukraine continues, Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to divide Western allies. Putin is becoming "increasingly unscrupulous, dangerous, and more willing to take risks."

According to the "Associated Press" report, some European leaders have recently warned that the Moscow authorities are planning to test NATO's collective defense mechanism with bolder attacks, and such actions currently include sabotage and espionage. Stringer was interviewed on the sidelines of a security conference in Estonia. Stringer warned that NATO members must be aware of the current "highly tense environment" and be cautious in responding because Putin hopes to stir up NATO emotions and make an "overreaction."

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Russia's "hybrid warfare" incidents have been frequent recently. Reports pointed out that in August, German officials accused Russia of being behind the drone incident at Leipzig Airport; in August, British officials claimed to have foiled a Russian plot to sabotage a drone factory outside London. In August, a defense company was set on fire in Estonia and a weapons depot exploded in Bulgaria. Both incidents were not publicly attributed to Russia. The Associated Press asked Putin in May this year whether Russia was launching covert operations against Western countries, and Putin asked for evidence.

Stringer believes that the line between "accidental" and "intentional" is very blurry." For example, Russia used GPS jamming or other electronic countermeasures to divert drones from their routes and invade NATO airspace to defend against Ukrainian drone attacks. Stringer concluded that Russia may escalate such activities, but this does not mean that they have decided to do so.

Stringer pointed out that the increase in the frequency of Russia's covert attacks is not because NATO countries have failed to prevent them, but is a direct result of the West's support for Ukraine. "Putin is thinking about many things to try to create divisions among NATO allies because his actions in Ukraine are not going well."