The European response to Russia's hybrid warfare?

Faced with escalating hybrid attacks by Moscow, several European countries and NATO are now considering counteroffensive options. The options being discussed include joint cyber offensive operations against Russia, faster and more coordinated attribution of attacks by pointing the finger at Moscow, and surprise military exercises conducted by the Atlantic Alliance on Russia's borders. This development marks a strategic turning point for capitals that, a few years ago, would never have considered such measures.

Incidents are multiplying at an unprecedented rate. Russian drones have flown over Poland and Romania in recent weeks, and unidentified aircraft have wreaked havoc at airports and military bases across the continent. Between January and July, a Prague-based think tank recorded more than 110 acts of sabotage and attempted attacks in Europe, mainly in Poland and France, perpetrated by individuals linked to Moscow. GPS jamming, incursions by fighter jets and military ships, and an explosion on a Polish railway line carrying military aid to Ukraine show the scale of this hybrid war.

Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže is calling for a proactive response, stressing that the Russians are constantly testing the limits. German State Secretary for Defense Florian Hahn said that Europe and NATO must ask themselves how long they will tolerate this type of hybrid warfare and whether they should become more active in this area. In Italy, Defense Minister Guido Crosetto unveiled a 125-page plan to create a European Center for Countering Hybrid Warfare and a 1,500-strong cyber force. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk deployed 10,000 troops to protect the country's infrastructure and accused Moscow of state terrorism.

On an operational level, several countries, such as Denmark and the Czech Republic, already authorize offensive cyber operations. Potential targets include the Alabouga economic zone in Tatarstan, where Moscow produces Shahed drones, as well as energy facilities and trains carrying weapons. NATO, a defensive organization by nature, favors demonstrations of force, such as surprise military exercises on the borders with Lithuania or Estonia. However, Europeans must strike a delicate balance, responding firmly to Moscow without crossing red lines that could trigger open war with a nuclear power. Politico

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