US Envoy Flags Concern over NATO Drone Attacks

NATO member states should not tolerate deliberate hybrid activities, and the United States will support them in addressing such incidents, US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said on Saturday.

He described last month's attempted drone attack on the Leipzig/Halle airport in Germany as more concerning than the recent cases of Russian drones attacking Ukraine that strayed into the airspace of NATO member countries. Germany blamed Russia for the incident.

"Then you have what I would call the more concerning hybrid actions like we saw in Leipzig, like we have seen in Poland", Whitaker said on the sidelines of a business conference in Italy.

According to him, NATO member states must be prepared and vigilant and send a strong signal in the event of similar incidents. If the perpetrator can be identified, as Germany has reportedly done, according to Whitaker, it must be made clear that such actions are unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

He added that critical infrastructure, including energy facilities, could also become a target and should be monitored by national authorities. The response to such threats is primarily the responsibility of individual countries, but the US will support them in addressing such cases.

(Reuters, lud)