Russia is waging covert campaign agast NATO members – Rutte

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has claims that Russia is conducting espionage operations on the territory of alliance member states, and said that the UK has exposed the use of spy software by Russian military intelligence.

Speaking on the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Ljubljana on Monday, Rutte said this summer the UK exposed the use of sophisticated spy software by Russian military intelligence in the rear and on the front line.

Rutte stated that this is why, within the framework of the Hague Defense Investment Plan, the allies decided to invest more in protecting critical infrastructure, defending networks, strengthening resilience and increasing civil preparedness.

The NATO Secretary General noted that although Russia is not as strong as it would like to pretend, it remains extremely dangerous. He said it is crucial that NATO is prepared, because Russia is waging a covert campaign. According to the NATO Secretary General, the list of targets for sabotage that Russia is carrying out is not limited to critical infrastructure, defense industries and military facilities.

The Secretary General recalled that NATO defense ministers will meet in Brussels on October 15 to discuss how best to strengthen deterrence and defense capabilities, particularly in light of recent incidents.