---
title: "Not an \"eye for an eye\": Rutte explains how NATO will respond to Russian hybrid attacks"
description: "NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated in Brussels that the Alliance's responses to Russian hybrid attacks will not always be symmetrical or public, but will remain effective."
date: 2026-09-29T11:22:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/not-an-eye-for-an-eye-rutte-explains-nato-responses-to-russian-hybrid-attacks
tags: [nato, mark-rutte, russia, hybrid-warfare, ukraine, estonia]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Not an "eye for an eye": Rutte explains how NATO will respond to Russian hybrid attacks

![NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte speaking at a press conference in Brussels](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/29/ne-oko-za-oko-ryutte-obyasnil-kakimi-budut-otvety-nato/ne-oko-za-oko-ryutte-obyasnil-kakimi-budut-otvety-nato-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- NATO's responses to Russian hybrid attacks will not always be symmetrical or public.
- The Alliance is actively countering the Russian shadow fleet and protecting underwater infrastructure.
- Increasing military and financial aid to Ukraine remains NATO's top priority.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte made a policy statement at a press conference in Brussels, emphasizing that the North Atlantic Alliance possesses a full range of tools to resolutely respond to Moscow's hostile actions. According to him, the term "hybrid" sounds too soft to describe the aggressive "gray zone" tactics, which include cyberattacks, sabotage, and drone launches. The bloc's leadership intends to act strategically and deliberately, without limiting itself to mirror measures.

### Asymmetric measures and infrastructure protection

Answering journalists' questions, the NATO Secretary General noted that the Alliance's responses will not always be public or symmetrical according to the "eye for an eye" principle. As a successful example of symmetrical intervention, he cited the Baltic Sentry operation, deployed in late 2025 following the incident involving damage to the underwater communication cable between Finland and Estonia. This mission aims to ensure the security of critical underwater infrastructure in the Baltic Sea region.

### Containing the Russian shadow fleet

In parallel with collective NATO operations, individual member states—including Great Britain, Sweden, France, and Belgium—are implementing large-scale asymmetric initiatives. Their main goal is the systematic complication of the logistical operations of the Russian "shadow fleet." Such measures are designed to significantly limit the Kremlin's revenues from maritime oil transportation using aging tankers that bypass international sanctions.

### The cost of the conflict and support for Ukraine

Mark Rutte emphasized the need for a balanced approach, as allies are dealing with the leadership of the Russian Federation, which has already lost about 1.2 million military personnel in the protracted confrontation. Against the backdrop of recent incidents, including Estonia's accusations against Russian intelligence services for the arson attack on the Milrem Robotics defense enterprise, as well as the successful interception of a drone over Lithuania, the Secretary General called increased aid to Kyiv the best response. The Alliance's position remains unchanged: Moscow's pressure will not force allies to curtail their support for Ukraine.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Не "око за око": Рютте объяснил, какими будут ответы НАТО на гибридные атаки РФ](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/oko-oko-ryutte-poyasniv-kimi-budut-vidpovidi-1790680374.html) - Прямые цитаты генерального секретаря НАТО Марка Рютте о несимметричных ответах и стратегии Альянса.
- [Рютте рассказал о способах НАТО ответить на гибридные атаки РФ](https://gazeta.ua/ru/articles/politics/_ryutte-rasskazal-o-sposobah-nato-otvetit-na-gibridnye-ataki-rf/1259346) - Подтверждение заявлений о тактике серой зоны и противодействии теневому флоту.
- [Рютте: у НАТО есть "видимые и невидимые" способы ответить на гибридные атаки](https://www.pravda.com.ua/rus/news/2026/09/29/8055585/) - Детали о публичных и непубличных мерах реагирования НАТО.
- [Эстония обвинила Москву в поджоге, НАТО: гибридная кампания России не остановит нашу поддержку ...](https://ru.euronews.com/2026/09/29/ru-estonia-slams-russian-sabotage-after-arson-attack-on-defence-company-milrem-robotics) - Контекст инцидента с Milrem Robotics в Эстонии и поддержки Украины.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: What strategy has NATO chosen to respond to hybrid attacks?
**A:** NATO uses a combination of public, non-public, symmetrical, and asymmetric measures tailored to specific threats.

### Q: What is the Baltic Sentry operation?
**A:** This is a NATO operation to protect underwater infrastructure, launched after the damage to the cable between Finland and Estonia.