NATO is weighing whether to become “more aggressive” in confronting Russia’s hybrid campaign, the alliance’s top military official said Monday. Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, chairman of NATO’s military committee, told the Financial Times that allies are evaluating if they should be “proactive instead of reactive,” including the possibility of preemptive cyber or sabotage operations that would still be framed within defensive doctrine.
He acknowledged this would be “further away” from the alliance’s usual way of operating, and that ethics, law, and jurisdiction impose limits that Russia does not accept.
Cavo Dragone pointed to the Baltic Sentry maritime mission, launched this year to deter suspected Russian-linked sabotage at sea. He said that “from the beginning of Baltic Sentry, nothing has happened,” arguing that absence of incidents suggests deterrence is working.
At the same time, he cautioned that being more assertive “could be an option,” while reiterating that NATO and its members operate under stricter constraints than Moscow.
Moscow pushes back
The Kremlin reacted quickly. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova called the admiral’s comments “an extremely irresponsible step,” accusing NATO of signaling a willingness “to move toward escalation,” according to Russian state media.
Moscow has consistently rejected Western assertions that it is waging hybrid operations against allied infrastructure and societies, even as European governments have alleged Russian involvement in sabotage, cyberattacks, and disinformation campaigns.
NATO capitals have repeatedly said that Russia’s war in Ukraine is accompanied by a steady drumbeat of pressure tactics below the threshold of open conflict. The alliance frames these activities as hybrid threats that aim to sow confusion, increase political costs, and probe defenses without crossing red lines that could trigger collective defense.
What NATO is debating
Cavo Dragone said allies are discussing whether certain proactive steps could fit within the alliance’s defensive posture.
Officials are exploring whether tailored cyber actions, counter-sabotage operations, or forward defensive measures might deter hostile actors from targeting cables, pipelines, ports, and other critical nodes. The admiral stressed that any approach must remain grounded in alliance law and national jurisdictions.
He also acknowledged the dilemma. “Being more aggressive compared with the aggressivity of our counterpart could be an option,” he said, but noted that Western military and legal standards can make response options more complex.
That does not necessarily place NATO in a weaker position, he argued, but it requires careful planning, strict oversight, and clear political authorization.
