cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/5883329
Nato is considering being “more aggressive” in responding to Russia’s cyber attacks, sabotage and airspace violations, according to the alliance’s most senior military officer.
Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone told the Financial Times that the western military alliance was looking at stepping up its response to hybrid warfare from Moscow.
“We are studying everything . . . On cyber, we are kind of reactive. Being more aggressive or being proactive instead of reactive is something that we are thinking about,” said Dragone, who is chair of Nato’s military committee.
Europe has been hit by numerous hybrid war incidents — some attributed to Russia and others unclear — from the cutting of cables in the Baltic Sea to cyber attacks across the continent.
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Dragone said that a “pre-emptive strike” could be considered a “defensive action”, but added: “It is further away from our normal way of thinking and behaviour.”
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A Baltic diplomat said: “If all we do is continue being reactive, we just invite Russia to keep trying, keep hurting us. Especially when hybrid warfare is asymmetric — it costs them little, and us a lot. We need to try to be more inventive.”
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Stupid to talk about pre-emptive strikes. This plays right into the Russian propaganda narrative that NATO is an offensive threat. Just match them one for one on each cyber attack, shoot down all drone incursions and reply in kind with our own, and for each cut cable we sink the ship that did it.
Yeah, why talk about preemptive strikes when they’re still not responding appropriately to the invasion of Ukraine? Kick Russia out of there first. That’s a totally legitimate non-preemptive way to block Russian aggression. That’s how you show strength, not with words that help the Russian narrative.
Wouldn’t you consider a drone incursion an offensive threat?
Not if it is a direct response to one.
Do you pack the drones with bombs?
Did they?
They didn’t. Do you think Russia would get afraid if they saw a dozen unarmed drones coming?
Who knows. I don’t think they’d be able to tell if they were armed while they were in the air. But at least would give them something to think about and show them that we aren’t just going to sit down and take it:
Yeah, NATO is run by absolute idiots.
“Pre-emptive strike” AFTER Ukraine has been routed. Real brilliant move.