NATO has prepared three action plans for its eastern flank
NATO's Military Committee chair said in Copenhagen that the alliance has drawn up three detailed plans for responding to a potential escalation on its eastern flank. He added that a direct attack on the Poland-Ukraine border is not being treated as a realistic scenario.
NATO Military Committee Chairman Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone said at a press conference in Copenhagen on Saturday, following a Military Committee meeting, that the alliance has prepared roughly 4,000 pages of plans covering the eastern flank in case of escalation. He clarified this actually consists of three separate plans outlining specific actions, troop movements and responses to various scenarios.
Dragone said the decision-making process has been standardized to allow for the fastest possible response, and that this work is already underway. The plans cover a wide range of situations, from a minor crisis or incursion on alliance territory up to the invocation of Article 5. He stressed that the command structure, troops, systems and weapons are all ready, and that NATO knows exactly what to do in the event of an attack.
Hybrid threats and the border with Ukraine
Asked about a possible Russian strike on border crossing points between Poland and Ukraine, Dragone said NATO has grown accustomed to hybrid attacks and is handling them successfully. He noted that a direct attack on that area is not being discussed as a real scenario, but the alliance remains committed to showing strength and defending every inch of its territory. According to him, hybrid actions do not automatically trigger Article 5 since they usually stay below that threshold, but a direct attack would immediately prompt a request to invoke it.
Ammunition stockpiles and industry
Dragone acknowledged that NATO is fully aware of the ammunition stockpile issue in case of a prolonged conflict, given the large daily consumption of shells in the war in Ukraine. He said the defense industry needs to abandon its peacetime mindset and ramp up production capacity. Funding for this is available, as allies have decided to significantly increase defense investment.
The admiral also referenced physical incidents at defense plants and warehouses in Europe, saying these could be criminal acts or elements of hybrid warfare, and that intelligence services are working to prevent such threats.
