Amid sabotage incidents and drone-related events in Europe, EU countries are considering a «counterstrike»against Russia in the hybrid war. According to sources, options include joint offensive cyberoperations against Russia, coordinated identification of hybrid attacks, and sudden NATO-led military exercises. Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs told the publication, «How far can we go?» She emphasized that «an active response is necessary» and «it is actions, not words, that send the signal.» The article notes recent incidents in Europe, including drones appearing in Poland and Romania, GPS jamming, and damage to Polish railways. The Kremlin has repeatedly called accusations of planning sabotage in Europe groundless and unfounded. «In general, Europe and the alliance need to ask themselves how long we are willing to tolerate this type of hybrid warfare… and whether we should consider taking more active measures ourselves,» said Bundestag member Florian Hahn. An unnamed senior military official told the publication that Europe needs to work with allies who have a deep understanding of Russia, as well as «establish cooperation in information warfare.» The source also noted that in this situation, «Russian public opinion… is somewhat inaccessible.» NATO is a defensive organization and is wary of «offensive operations,» but «asymmetric responses are an important part of the conversation,» an unnamed alliance source said. «Undoubtedly, more efforts are needed in the field of hybrid actions,» added another NATO interlocutor. The Russian Foreign Ministry has said that Western countries are waging a hybrid war against Russia. Spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated that the United Kingdom plays a key role. Moscow also accuses European countries of attempting to undermine the resolution of the conflict in Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin called claims that Russia plans to attack the North Atlantic Alliance false, while noting that «all NATO countries are fighting against Russia.»

EU’s Possible Responses Against Russia in the Hybrid War