NATO develops plan for possible Russian attack

NATO’s top military commander is developing a strategy for how the alliance could respond if Russian forces entered allied territory, with conventional forces, drones and artificial intelligence among the capabilities described in one account of the plan. NATO has not said it believes a conventional Russian attack is imminent. Supreme Allied Commander Europe Alexus Grynkewich is expected to discuss his “theory of victory” at a security conference in Warsaw on Monday, October 12, according to his spokesperson, Col. Martin O’Donnell. O’Donnell said the framework is intended to preserve NATO’s military advantage and prepare the alliance to deter aggression and prevail if attacked. The operational details reported so far are based on an unclassified planning document described in one account. Under the proposed approach, NATO would seek first to stop an incursion using land forces alongside drones and other systems, including capabilities developed through the Eastern Flank Deterrence Initiative. The document’s reported outline then envisages allied forces disrupting an attacker’s command structure after securing freedom of movement.