**Russia’s Hybrid Attacks on NATO Countries**
NATO officials are warning that Russia could carry out an attack that causes “substantial” casualties. The warning comes from James Appathurai, a top NATO official.
Appathurai told Sky News that the risk of such an attack is real. He said that one of these attacks could be very serious and cause many deaths or injuries.
**Increased Security Measures**
NATO has pledged to take extra security measures to counter Russian hybrid attacks. This comes after a recent incident where a Russian oil tanker was seized by Finnish authorities for cutting an undersea cable between Finland and Estonia.
Appathurai said that the current number of attacks would have been unacceptable five years ago. He stressed that NATO needs to be clear about what kind of attack will trigger a joint response.
**Article 5**
NATO’s Article 5 states that an attack against one ally is considered an attack against the alliance as a whole and warrants a joint response. However, there has been debate over whether this rule applies to Russian hybrid attacks.
**Surge in Hybrid Attacks**
Appathurai said that there have been dozens of Russian kinetic hybrid attacks since 2022. These operations include cutting cables, as well as more serious plots like smuggling flammable parcels onto cargo planes and sending them to European airports.
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