The Alliance is closely watching Russia's military activity, particularly its long-range strike capabilities and drone use, and stressed it has the necessary plans, forces and tools to deter aggression and defend against potential threats.
NATO also said it is strengthening forward defense positions and conducting regular exercises to deploy additional ground forces on the Alliance's eastern flank. Particular attention is being paid to increasing the flexibility of the Alliance's defense posture and accelerating the adoption of military innovations, the official said.
The NATO official also said drones have become a permanent feature of modern warfare. He noted that at the 2026 Ankara summit, allies announced NATO's Drone Edge initiative, under which allies will invest about $40 billion in counter-drone capabilities over the next five years and train five times as many drone operators within their armed forces by the end of 2027.
The NATO official said allies would continue to "strengthen resilience and refine the tools at our disposal, ensuring the Alliance remains ready to deter [the adversary] and defend every ally."
On Aug. 16, the British newspaper The Telegraph published an investigation claiming Russia has built a number of secret bases from which it is capable of launching its most advanced strike drones — jet-powered Shaheds — for deep strikes on NATO member territory.