---
title: "“This Won’t Work”: NATO Names the Kremlin’s Plan to Destabilize Europe and the Alliance’s Response"
description: "NATO stated that Russia is waging a hybrid war against Europe to dissuade the West from supporting Ukraine. The Alliance is strengthening cyber defense, and in Poland 40 espionage cases were opened in the eight months of 2026."
date: 2026-09-15T08:34:01.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/nato-names-kremlins-plan-to-destabilize-europe-and-the-alliances-response
tags: [nato, russia, hybrid-warfare, cyberattacks, europe, ukraine, poland, espionage]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# “This Won’t Work”: NATO Names the Kremlin’s Plan to Destabilize Europe and the Alliance’s Response

![NATO soldiers in camouflage on armored vehicles: Alliance readiness in response to Kremlin's plan to destabilize Europe](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/15/nato-nazvali-plan-kremlya-po-rashatyvaniyu-evropy-i-otvet-allyansa/nato-nazvali-plan-kremlya-po-rashatyvaniyu-evropy-i-otvet-allyansa-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- A NATO spokesperson stated that Russia is trying to destabilize Europe and dissuade the West from supporting Ukraine, but “this won’t work.”
- The Alliance is strengthening cyber defense of critical infrastructure and expanding data sharing to detect hybrid threats.
- In Poland, at least 40 espionage cases were opened in the eight months of 2026, compared with 67 over the entire year of 2025.

NATO headquarters stated that Russia is deliberately trying to destabilize European democracies and dissuade Western countries from continuing to support Ukraine. According to an Alliance spokesperson, hostile attempts to undermine public trust “are nothing new,” but their scale and nature require constant vigilance. “Russia wants to create fear, destabilize our societies, and talk us out of supporting Ukraine. This won’t work,” he emphasized, adding that allies and partners are noting “a series of hybrid or ‘gray zone’ actions,” including cyberattacks, information threats, political interference, and sabotage.

### The Kremlin’s Goal: Break the West’s Will

As follows from statements by Alliance representatives, the main objective of Moscow’s sabotage and hybrid activity is not so much specific material losses as psychological and political impact: to shake citizens’ trust in democratic institutions and create a sense of vulnerability. This, NATO assesses, is meant to push European capitals to reduce their aid to Kyiv. In this context, the Alliance notes that allies have agreed to direct additional resources toward protecting critical infrastructure and to expand data sharing in order to detect new hybrid threats in a timely manner.

### NATO’s Response: Strengthening Cyber Defense and Intelligence Sharing

In response to growing threats, NATO is reportedly strengthening cyber defense and information-sharing mechanisms among member states. Protecting critical infrastructure—energy, telecommunications, and transport systems, which are most vulnerable to sabotage and cyberattacks—has been named a priority. Expanding data sharing allows allies to detect anomalies faster and coordinate their response to incidents in the “gray zone,” where the adversary’s actions do not reach the threshold of open armed conflict.

### Polish Statistics: An Acceleration in Espionage Cases

The practical side of hybrid pressure is illustrated by statistics from Poland, where law enforcement authorities published data on investigations into espionage on behalf of foreign intelligence services. In the eight months of 2026, at least 40 new cases under the relevant article were opened, whereas over the entire year of 2025 there were 67 such cases. The trend points to a marked acceleration in the pace of uncovering intelligence activity against the backdrop of the ongoing hybrid campaign.

### Contradictory Data

The parties’ public formulations show a difference in assessing the situation. On the one hand, the NATO spokesperson categorically states that Russia’s plan “won’t work” and emphasizes the Alliance’s readiness to defend. On the other, a number of European outlets note that within the Alliance there are discussions about the applicability of Article 5 in response to Russian hybrid attacks, while Europe, according to them, is currently cautious about a hard response, fearing escalation. Thus, the confidence in NATO’s official statement coexists with caution in the practical policy of response, as well as with a growing number of uncovered espionage cases, which indicates an intensification rather than a weakening of pressure. The differences in these assessments reflect the gap between rhetoric and readiness for concrete measures.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Russia Shakes Europe with Sabotage: NATO Names the Kremlin’s Plan](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/rosiya-rozhitue-evropu-diversiyami-nato-nazvali-1789461032.html) - Основной источник: заявление представителя НАТО о целях гибридной кампании и усилении киберзащиты; статистика польских дел о шпионаже (40 за 8 мес. 2026 vs 67 за 2025).
- [NATO Discusses Article 5 Over Russian Hybrid Attacks, but Europe Still Fears a Hard Response](https://unn.ua/ru/news/v-nato-zagovorili-o-state-5-iz-za-rossiiskikh-gibridnikh-atak-no-yevropa-poka-boitsya-zhyostkogo-otveta) - Контекст для блока противоречивых данных: дискуссия о ст. 5 и сдержанность Европы в ответе.
- [The Threat to Europe Is Growing: How Russia Is Intensifying Its Hybrid War and Whether NATO Is Ready to Respond](https://tsn.ua/ru/exclusive/ugroza-dlya-evropy-rastet-kak-rossiya-usilivaet-gibridnuyu-voynu-i-gotovo-li-nato-k-otvetu-3162431.html) - Дополнительный контекст об усилении гибридной войны и готовности НАТО.
- [NATO Prepares for Putin’s Strike: Ditches, Bunkers, and Minefields Appear on Europe’s Borders ...](https://tsn.ua/ru/svit/nato-gotovitsya-k-udaru-putina-na-granitsah-evropy-poyavlyayutsya-rvy-bunkery-i-minnye-polya-sputnikovye-foto-3163412.html) - Дополнительный контекст об усилении гибридной войны и готовности НАТО.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: What is the goal of Russian sabotage in Europe, according to NATO’s assessment?
**A:** According to an Alliance spokesperson, the main goal is to create fear, destabilize societies, shake trust in democratic institutions, and dissuade Western countries from further supporting Ukraine.

### Q: How is NATO responding to hybrid threats?
**A:** Allies are strengthening cyber defense, directing more resources to protecting critical infrastructure, and expanding data sharing to detect new threats in the “gray zone” in a timely manner.

### Q: What espionage data has been published in Poland?
**A:** In the eight months of 2026, law enforcement opened at least 40 new cases of espionage on behalf of foreign intelligence services, whereas over the entire year of 2025 there were 67 such cases.

### Q: Are there discrepancies in the parties’ assessments?
**A:** Yes: NATO states that Russia’s plan “won’t work,” while in Europe there are discussions about the applicability of Article 5 and caution is maintained in any hard response due to the risk of escalation.