Hybrid Warfare– NATO Dilemmas and Responses

  • Gábor Marosfi NATO Internacional Staff, Operations Division
Keywords: NATO, hybrid warfare, Russia

Abstract

Articles 3 (effective self-help), 4 (consultation), and 5 (collective defence) of the North Atlantic Treaty. Although NATO is well aware of the magnitude of the problem, the Russian hybrid activity has been constantly growing over the past decade. Why is NATO’s deterrence not working more effectively? What is impeding more effective individual and collective actions? This article outlines some of the most important dilemmas, limitations, and presents possible lines of efforts including conceivable responses from the perspective of both NATO as an organization and the memberstates, based on the situation in spring 2026. All this is done primarily in the context of Russia, which is currently the most influential, but by no means the only or exclusive actor.

Author Biography

Gábor Marosfi, NATO Internacional Staff, Operations Division

Hungarian national expert

References

AAP-06, ed. 6. 2021. NATO glossary of terms and definitions. https://www.collegesidekick.com/study-docs/5341783. (Letöltés: 2026. 03. 19.)

Az Észak-atlanti Szerzõdés (NATO 1949). https://www.nato.int/en/about-us/official-texts-and-resources/official-texts/1949/04/04/the-north-atlantic-treaty?selectedLocale=hu (Letöltés: 2026. 03. 25.)

Brown, Will; Kobzova, Jana; Popescu, Nicu; Torreblanca, José Ignacio 2026. From shield to sword: Europe’s offensive strategy for the hybrid age. Policy Brief, March 2026, European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR)

Charap, Samuel 2020. Strategic Sderzhivanie: Understanding Contemporary Russian Approaches to “Deterrence”. In: Security Insights, George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies, No. 62, September 2020. ISSN 1867-4119. https://www.marshallcenter.org/sites/default/files/files/2020-09/Security%20Insights%2062%20-%20Charap%20-%20RSI%20-%20Strategic%20Sderzhivanie%20-%20IMAGE%20IDEAS%20%28002%29.pdf (Letöltés: 2023. 03. 19.)

Council of the European Union(EU2022). Councilconclusions on a Framework for a coordinated EU response to hybrid campaigns. 21 June 2022. https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2022/06/21/council-conclusions-on-a-framework-for-a-coordinated-eu-response-to-hybrid-campaigns/ (Letöltés: 2023. 03. 19.)

Hajdu, Dominika (szerk.) 2025. Russia’s Crime-Terror Nexus: Criminality as a Tool of Hybrid Warfare in Europe. Globsec– International Center for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT). Sept. 2025. https://www.globsec.org/sites/default/files/2025-10/Russia%20Crime%20Terror%20Nexus_Criminality%20as%20a%20Tool_0.pdf (Letöltés: 2025. 03. 28.)

Institute for the Study of War (ISW) 2026. Russian Phase Zero Operations in Europe, Date Range: September 9, 2025 to February 27, 2026. https://understandingwar.org/map/russian-phase-zero-operations-in-europe-date-range-september-9-2025-to-february-27-2026/ (Letöltés: 2026. 03. 19.)

Kiss Álmos Péter 2019. A hibrid hadviselés természetrajza. Honvédelmi Szemle, 2019/4. 17–37. https://honvedelem.hu/images/media/5f58be696dc30542944535.pdf (Letöltés 2026. 04. 10.)

NATO Allied Command Transformation (ACT) 2026. What is deterrence? https://www.act.nato.int/activities/deterrence/ (Letöltés: 2026. 03. 19.)

NATO Warsaw Summit Communiqué (NATO 2016). https://www.nato.int/en/about-us/official-texts-and-resources/official-texts/2016/07/09/warsaw-summit-communique (Letöltés: 2026. 03. 25.)

NATO What We Do: Relations with Russia (NATO 2024). https://www.nato.int/en/what-we-do/partnerships-and-cooperation/relations-with-russia (Letöltés: 2026. 03. 19.)

NATO Deterrence and defence (2025a). https://www.nato.int/en/what-we-do/deterrence-and-defence/deterrence-and-defence (Letöltés: 2026. 04. 10.)

NATO Countering Hybrid Threats (NATO 2026). https://www.nato.int/en/what-we-do/deterrence-and-defence/countering-hybrid-threats?selectedLocale= (Letöltés: 2026. 03. 19.)

NATO Strategic Concept (NATO 2022). https://www.nato.int/content/dam/nato/webready/documents/publications-and-reports/strategic-concepts/2022/290622-strategic-concept.pdf (Letöltés: 2026. 03 25.)

North Atlantic Council Statement in Solidarity with the Czech Republic (NAC 2021). https://www.nato.int/en/about-us/official-texts-and-resources/official-texts/2021/04/22/north-atlantic-council-statement-in-solidarity-with-the-czech-republic (Letöltés: 2026. 03 25.)

North Atlantic Council (NATO 2025b). The Hague Summit Declaration issued by the NATO Heads of State and Government participating in the meeting of the North Atlantic Council in The Hague 25 June 2025. https://www.nato.int/en/about-us/official-texts-and-resources/official-texts/2025/06/25/the

Politico 2026: Russia’s newest spy may be someone you know. Politico, March 18, 2026. https://www.politico.eu/article/russia-newest-spy-may-be-someone-you-know-foreign-intelligence-sabotage/ (Letöltés: 2026. 03. 26.)

Reuters 2026: German spy chief calls for more operational freedom to counter threats. February 13, 2026. https://www.reuters.com/world/german-spy-chief-calls-more-operational-freedom-counter-threats-2026-02-13/ (Letöltés: 2026. 03. 29.)

Rutte, Mark 2025. Remarks by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (Rutte, 2025) at the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs and Subcommittee on Security and Defence, 13 January 2025. https://www.nato.int/en/news-and-events/events/transcripts/2025/01/13/remarks. (Letöltés: 2026. 03. 12.)

SándorTamás2025.Aszovjet-oroszelrettentésipolitika fejlõdése a másodikvilágháborútólnapjainkig. Hadtudomány, 35 (4): 40–64. https://doi.org/10.17047/HADTUD.2025.35.4.40

Published
2026-08-29