Russia's attack on NATO's eastern flank: the National Security and Defense Council issues an important warning

A possible Russian attack on Finland and other countries on NATO's eastern flank will be a hybrid attack, involving armed formations from authoritarian countries that support the aggressor state.

This warning was issued by Andriy Kovalенко, Head of the Center for Countering Disinformation of the National Security and Defense Council.

He made the statement in response to a publication in the Finnish newspaper Iltalehti Journal, which, citing sources in NATO, mentioned the existence of a threat from Russia to Finland, northern Norway, and the Baltic states.

To counter a potential attack, in March of last year, NATO's defense alliance conducted exercises involving the deployment of 20,000 soldiers to northern Norway and Finnish Lapland.

Commander of NATO’s Northern Command in Norfolk, U.S. Vice Admiral Douglas Perry, who led these exercises, directly identified the Russians as a threat.

At the beginning of 2024, several high-level warnings were also issued, according to the publication.

As Andriy Kovalенко notes, it is important for NATO to understand that the attack would be hybrid in nature.

“The military of North Korea, as well as militants from the so-called "Hezbollah" controlled by Iran, could be involved if the West does not disrupt the relationship between Russia and other autocracies,” he emphasized.

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