NATO enlists industry to counter Russia's hybrid threats

James Appathurai, NATO's deputy assistant secretary general for innovation, hybrid and cyber, stated that Russia's hybrid campaign is substantial and ongoing, irrespective of the conflict in Ukraine. Recent incidents, such as drone incursions on Europe's eastern border and GPS jamming, have prompted European governments to seek stronger responses.

The alliance's hybrid strategy, adopted last year, involves establishing partnerships with private companies, including cyber firms and utility providers, to enhance military monitoring of hybrid threats. This enhanced approach is expected to be a key topic at the upcoming NATO Summit in Ankara.

Appathurai highlighted Russia's increasing boldness, citing a wiper attack in Poland in December 2025 that affected numerous wind and solar farms and a major heat and power plant. In response to escalating threats, NATO jets recently downed a drone in Latvian airspace. In May, the alliance formed partnerships with cybersecurity leaders Microsoft, Palo Alto Networks, and ESET to bolster its network defenses.

Last year, NATO deployed warships and aircraft to the Baltic Sea under Operation Baltic Sentry following suspected attacks on undersea cables. The alliance is also deepening its engagement with the energy sector, sharing threat intelligence with oil and gas companies amid continued drone activity around offshore infrastructure. Similar collaborations are underway with major U.S. cloud providers to protect critical digital infrastructure and build a secure, air-gapped cloud network. This redundancy aims to ensure NATO's operational continuity, even if U.S. support were to be degraded.

Hypbrid warfare, encompassing cyberattacks, disinformation, sabotage, and other disruptive activities falling short of conventional conflict, has long challenged Western governments. While deterrence through attribution and sanctions was previously the primary response, a series of attacks has led to a pivot towards active defense measures. The new strategy seeks to provide a clearer picture of hybrid activity across NATO territory, moving beyond isolated incident responses to a more cohesive understanding of coordinated actions.