NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte says Russia has long been waging not a covert but an open war against NATO countries, according to BILD.
Russia has framed its military actions in Ukraine as part of a broader conflict against NATO, viewing the Alliance as a significant threat to its security interests.
Rutte’s claims came during his address to security experts in Brussels. He emphasized the need to shift the approach and adopt military thinking to prepare for potential attacks, such as drone strikes in Europe.
Meanwhile, an OSCE report has revealed that since the start of the war in Ukraine, Russia has carried out approximately 150 attacks on NATO countries. These include cyberattacks on railways, hospitals, GPS systems, and water supplies. The report also highlights hacking, sabotage, and threats to military facilities and underwater infrastructure.
Russia especially focuses on targeting critical infrastructure. For instance, in 2024, major hospitals in Romania and pharmacies in the US were paralyzed by cyberattacks, while Europe experienced widespread GPS signal disruptions. Russia is also suspected of sabotaging underwater cables in the Baltic Sea, affecting communication and data transmission.
In addition to cyberattacks, the report has mentioned incidents of physical violence and assassination attempts. In Italy, authorities thwarted a plot to assassinate the defense minister, while in Germany and the US, plans to attack defense industry executives were uncovered.
Moscow has been also accused of leveraging the migration crisis to destabilize EU borders, spreading propaganda, and interfering in elections.
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