NATO is weighing a more "proactive" and "aggressive" posture in countering Russia's hybrid-warfare campaign — potentially including "preemptive" actions, said Italian Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone.

Dragone, NATO's most senior officer and chair of the alliance's Military Committee, made the remarks in response to myriad attacks at the hands of Russia, including sabotage, cyberattacks, and airspace violations.

"We are studying everything. ... On cyber, we are kind of reactive," Dragone said.

"Being more aggressive or being proactive instead of reactive is something that we are thinking about."

Dragone added that a "preemptive" strike could be considered a "defensive action," adding that it's "further away from our normal way of thinking and behavior."

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Dragone's remarks were seen by Moscow as "an extremely irresponsible step, indicating the alliance's readiness to continue moving towards escalation."

"We see in it a deliberate attempt to undermine efforts to overcome the Ukrainian crisis," Zakharova said.

"The people making such statements should be aware of the risks and possible consequences, including for the alliance members themselves."

NATO officials point to the alliance's Baltic Sentry mission as a recent success against Russia.

Under the operation, ships, aircraft, and naval drones have patrolled the Baltic Sea, preventing a repeat of the cable-cutting incidents seen in 2023 and 2024 — attacks widely linked to Russia's shadow fleet, which is used to evade Western sanctions.

"From the beginning of Baltic Sentry, nothing has happened. So this means that this deterrence is working," Dragone said.

Despite Baltic Sentry's success, concerns persist within the alliance after a Finnish court dismissed charges against the crew of the Eagle S — a shadow-fleet vessel accused of severing multiple underwater electricity and data cables.

The court ruled it lacked jurisdiction because the suspected sabotage occurred in international waters.

Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said the ruling gives Russian vessels carte blanche in international waters, calling it "a problem" but stopped short of saying there's a need to be "more assertive."

"So far, I don't think there has been a need for that. We also should take a step back and really analyze what the aggressor is after," she said.

"Then probably, we shouldn't be hysterical. We have our own playbook, and we should trust it because it's quite robust."

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