Military conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East are forcing the North Atlantic Alliance to revise its approaches to countering a potential Russian attack. According to The Wall Street Journal, cited by RBC-Ukraine, NATO is considering striking military and industrial targets deep behind enemy lines. This marks a noticeable shift from a years-long doctrine built primarily on deterrence and impeding troop advances.
First-Ever Long-Range Strike Symposium
In June, high-ranking military commanders and NATO representatives gathered for the alliance's first-ever Deep Strike Symposium. The event was organized by the Supreme Allied Commander Europe, U.S. General Alexus Grynkewich. During the meeting, participants discussed new approaches to defending European territory, including within a military game dedicated to a potential confrontation with Russia.
From Deterrence to a Strategy of "Denial"
For decades, Europe's defense relied on the principle of deterring the enemy and impeding their advance. However, after nearly five years of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, the alliance's military strategists have concluded that deterrence of the offensive alone is insufficient to prevent a potential invasion. Now, to deter the Kremlin's conventional armed forces, NATO needs a more active strategy known in military terminology as "denial". This involves not only destroying troops that might cross the border, but also striking military bases, supply depots, and industrial facilities deep inside Russia.
"Break the Enemy's War-Making System"
General Grynkewich explained this approach in more detail during a speech dedicated to his "theory of victory" in Warsaw. According to him, NATO defense forces must first stop the first wave of the attack and then weaken the enemy's capabilities to continue the offensive. If Russia continues offensive actions, the alliance must "break the enemy's war-making system" by striking not only advancing troops, but everything that supplies, supports, or controls them. At the same time, it is emphasized that the new strategy does not envision transitioning to the use of nuclear weapons.
Long-Range Weapons: Who Is Preparing What
High-precision long-range strike weapons are to play a key role in the new strategy — both expensive modern systems and comparatively inexpensive missiles. The U.S. has recently been modernizing and expanding its arsenal of such weaponry, specifically referring to Tomahawk cruise missiles and ATACMS missiles, as well as the development of new systems. European allies, lagging behind in this direction, are trying to accelerate the creation of their own weapons and increase their small existing stockpiles of Storm Shadow, SCALP, and Taurus cruise missiles.
What Is a "Deep Strike" and Who Might Be Affected
The concept of a "deep strike" has no single definition: depending on the approach, it refers to hitting targets at a distance of approximately 160 km to several hundred kilometers behind the front line. In the event of combat operations, long-range missiles, rockets, and drones will be used for this purpose. Their targets could include not only traditional military facilities — remote air bases or army complexes — but also industrial enterprises, critical infrastructure objects, and resource bases of Russia located thousands of kilometers from NATO borders. This approach is often described as the need to "attack the archer, not just defend against his arrows" — a strategy that, according to the publication, Ukraine is already applying in the war against Russia.
