Increasing tension on the eastern flank
NATO and the European Union must firmly fight against hybrid attacks
Romanian Foreign Minister Oana-Silvia Toiu stressed the need for NATO and the EU to step up their joint response to hybrid threats. Russian drone strikes on Ukraine are increasingly spreading into Romanian airspace and along the Black Sea, and Bucharest is warning of a broader campaign of cyberattacks, sabotage and other forms of hybrid warfare. Romania calls for stronger NATO deterrence on the eastern flank and closer cooperation between European allies.
The need for European coordination
The constant presence of Russian flying vehicles near the Black Sea border is turning the area into a complex operational theater. Military experts note that these raids are not mere isolated incidents but part of a deliberate strategy to test the Alliance's response limits. Each entry into national or international airspace generates a significant diplomatic and logistical cost, putting pressure on the North Atlantic Council's air defence systems and rapid decision-making mechanisms. The regional context is aggravated by the uncertainty surrounding the exact routes of drones, which sometimes appear to avoid standard radar detection, suggesting advanced technology or low-altitude flight tactics.
Cooperation between NATO and the EU is becoming essential to cover all threats, from cyber to physical. Toiu stressed that deterrence is achieved not only through conventional military presence but also through the ability to quickly identify attack vectors and impose clear consequences. Integrating the intelligence collected by EU Member States into NATO alert structures would enable a more coherent response to infrastructure sabotage or election interference. Strengthening dialogue with partners in the Western Balkans and the post-Soviet space is also crucial to creating a unified security perimeter capable of absorbing the shocks generated by the war in Ukraine and preventing the escalation of conflict in new areas.