Europe · updated 1h ago · 2 min read
Czech Intelligence Chief Warns Russia Could Intensify Operations Against NATO Within Months
Russia could intensify sabotage and influence operations in Europe within months. Moscow could test NATO unity with a limited incursion or provocation within months.
Risk framing diverges: some stress months-long test vs others deny imminent attack.
10 of 12 outlets skipped it: czech chief says each fire may require intelligence-style investigation.
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Yeni Safak English
“Russia could intensify operations against NATO members within "months, not years,"”Read the original ↗
One side implies near-term Alliance testing while the other stresses no immediate threat.
Months, not years
European intelligence chiefs warned that Russia could intensify operations against NATO countries in the coming months, with Michal Koudelka, head of the Czech Republic’s Security Information Service, saying potential escalation could occur in “months, not years.” Latvian State Security Service chief Normunds Mezviets cautioned that there were “no signs of an imminent attack,” while acknowledging Moscow appeared to be preparing for more decisive action in Europe.
Swedish military intelligence chief Thomas Nilsson predicted that Russian sabotage activities would intensify, citing the recent armed drone incident at Germany’s Leipzig airport as a “gamechanger.” The intelligence chiefs said Moscow’s objectives included weakening European support for Ukraine, creating divisions within NATO and alarming the public, while Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected claims that Russia intended to attack NATO, saying such speculation had “no connection to Moscow’s plans.”
Hybrid pressure and NATO
Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk told parliament that intelligence assessments suggested Russia might launch an attack with drones or missiles on Nato territory in the coming months, as part of efforts to prove that “article 5 is more theoretical than practical.” French President Emmanuel Macron called Tusk’s warnings “sound and well-documented,” and Macron summoned party leaders and 2027 presidential candidates for an emergency meeting in Paris.
Normunds Mežviets told The Guardian that “We don’t see indications of an imminent attack,” while he said it remained an open question whether Moscow’s preparations were concrete military plans or an attempt to spread fear and uncertainty. Moscow’s Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dismissed rumours of a Russian attack on Nato, saying “It has nothing to do with reality and nothing to do with the intentions of the Russian Federation,” as European leaders weighed how to message the risk to their societies.
Readiness and civilian planning
NATO’s chair of the alliance’s Military Committee, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, said “The alliance is ready, the structure is ready, the soldiers … the weapons are ready,” as he described NATO’s plans to defend the eastern flank. Dragone pointed to “4,000 pages” of military plans covering the protection of NATO’s eastern flank, including scenarios beginning with a limited crisis or interference on allied territory, and he said “In case of an attack, we know how to do it.”
French President Emmanuel Macron said “In recent weeks, the Russian hybrid threat against Europeans and against France has intensified,” and Macron said the intent was to intimidate and break support for Ukraine, adding “The result will be the exact opposite.” The Liberal Democrats urged Andy Burnham to establish an emergency register of civilian volunteers, and the defence spokesperson said the UK “urgently” needed a network of volunteers and called on politicians to be “more direct” with the public about the dangers facing the country.