The NATO chief warned of growing hybrid threats across Europe
BERLIN – NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Thursday reaffirmed the alliance’s solidarity with Germany following the Russian drone attack in Leipzig.
“We are seeing malicious hybrid attacks across Europe: cyberattacks, sabotage and drone attacks, such as the one in Leipzig,” Rutte said at the Conference of Heads of Mission at the German Foreign Ministry in Berlin.
He stressed that NATO stands firmly with Germany. “You have 31 friends and allies at your side,” he said, adding that the alliance would not be intimidated by the tactics of a “desperate regime” that was failing to achieve its objectives in Ukraine.
Russia is suffering “huge losses”, with around 40,000 troops killed or wounded each month, Rutte said. Despite this, Russian President Vladimir Putin has shown no willingness to end the war and continues to deliberately target civilians and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, he said.
