NATO official: Russia increasing hybrid acts, no imminent attack threat
Alliance sees no immediate danger despite stepped-up Russian activity in Europe, Polish PM warns of potential provocations.
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made

NATO sees no imminent threat of attack, official says
Photograph: Devdiscourse (embedded from source)
What this story says
- Russia is increasing its hybrid actions in Europe, according to a NATO official.
- The alliance currently sees no imminent threat of attack on any member state.
- Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned that Russian provocations against NATO members are possible.
- CIA Director John Ratcliffe met with Russian intelligence counterparts to discuss potential Russian operations against a NATO member.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 30 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 25 of the 55 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .
Trust
60/100
Craft
85/100
Hype
12/100
55 sources · methodology
Missing from the left
Only 6 of the 30 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated left.
A reader who follows the left would not have seen this. We report the absence rather than explain it: outlets choose what to cover for many reasons, and we have no evidence about which one applies here.
A NATO official stated on Sunday that Russia is intensifying its hybrid activities across Europe. Despite these actions, the official indicated that the alliance does not currently perceive an imminent threat of attack. The official added that NATO remains vigilant and committed to the safety of its population.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Saturday that Poland and NATO must prepare for various scenarios, and that a Russian provocation against any NATO member cannot be ruled out. Separately, CIA Director John Ratcliffe travelled to Russia on Tuesday to meet with intelligence officials. Two sources told Reuters that Ratcliffe raised the possibility of a Russian operation targeting a NATO member during this meeting.
Disagreement on drone attack responsibility
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated on Tuesday that the German government would soon identify who was responsible for an attempted drone attack on Leipzig/Halle airport earlier this month. Russia has denied involvement in sabotage or attacks in Europe, dismissing such accusations as Western propaganda.
What the coverage left out
None of the left-rated reports covered this story. The right-rated digests did not mention the attempted drone attack on Leipzig/Halle airport or the German government's statement that responsibility would soon be announced.
Coverage settled. We checked this 36 times and stopped on 5 Sept 2026, 09:45. The figures above are what it finished at.
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
6 rated outlets
- All six left‑rated outlets reported that a NATO official said Russia is stepping up hybrid activity in Europe while the alliance does not see an imminent Russian attack. The reports said NATO remains alert to a range of threats and noted continued Russian aggression against Ukraine.
- Dnevni list Danas published a full article that quoted an unnamed NATO official, included the official’s statement that Russia intensifies attacks on Ukraine and hybrid actions in Europe, and added Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s warning that NATO must be ready for any provocation. The digests from IndexHR, censor.net and Kyiv Post did not mention Tusk, and none of the digests reproduced the official’s direct quotation.
Centre
13 rated outlets
- The centre-rated reports led with the NATO official's statement that Russia is stepping up hybrid acts in Europe but that the alliance sees no imminent threat of attack. These reports included details about Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk's warning of potential Russian provocations and CIA Director John Ratcliffe's meeting with Russian intelligence counterparts. The attempted drone attack on Leipzig/Halle airport and the German government's promise to announce responsibility were also covered. Devdiscourse, in its full report, quoted the NATO official saying, "At this time, we see no imminent threat of attack," and also noted that "NATO continues to work around the clock to keep our one billion people safe."
Right
11 rated outlets
- Right-rated reports focused on the NATO official's assertion that the alliance sees no imminent threat of attack from Russia, despite an increase in hybrid actions. These digests mentioned Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk's statement that a Russian provocation cannot be ruled out. The CIA Director's meeting with Russian intelligence was also noted in some reports. The attempted drone attack on Leipzig/Halle airport was not mentioned in the right-rated digests provided.
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover NATO official: Russia increasing hybrid acts, no imminent attack threat?
- Of the 30 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 20% are rated left, 43% are rated centre, 37% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 55. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is NATO official: Russia increasing hybrid acts, no imminent attack threat left or right?
- Neither side dominates it. Of the 30 rated outlets on this story, 20% are rated left, 43% are rated centre, 37% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
- Is the coverage of NATO official: Russia increasing hybrid acts, no imminent attack threat biased?
- NATO official: Russia increasing hybrid acts, no imminent attack threat is one event reported by 55 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which side is not reporting NATO official: Russia increasing hybrid acts, no imminent attack threat?
- When we first saw this story, outlets rated left had barely covered it. Coverage accretes for hours after an event, so that is where to look rather than a verdict — the split above is the current count, and it is the one to read.
- Which outlets covered NATO official: Russia increasing hybrid acts, no imminent attack threat?
- 55 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- Is NATO facing an imminent threat of attack from Russia?
- A NATO official stated that while Russia is increasing its hybrid actions in Europe, the alliance currently sees no imminent threat of attack. This assessment was made despite ongoing Russian activities and warnings from Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk about potential provocations.
- What was discussed in the meeting between the CIA director and Russian intelligence?
- CIA Director John Ratcliffe met with Russian intelligence counterparts. Two sources told Reuters that Ratcliffe discussed a possible Russian operation against a NATO member during this meeting, though the full scope of the discussion is unclear.
- What is the German government's stance on the Leipzig/Halle airport drone attack?
- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz indicated that the German government will soon announce who is responsible for an attempted drone attack on Leipzig/Halle airport. Russia has consistently denied any involvement in such incidents.
Read it at the source
55 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
6- Russia’s shadow war on Europe is widening—NATO still sees no attack coming (opens Euromaidan Press in a new tab)
Euromaidan Press — is Euromaidan Press biased? Our profile of this outlet
- NATO Sees No Signs of Imminent Russian Attack, but Records Intensification of Hybrid Actions in Europe (opens censor.net in a new tab)
censor.net — is censor.net biased? Our profile of this outlet
- A NATO Official Sees No Immediate Threat From a Russian Attack (opens Dnevni list Danas in a new tab)
Dnevni list Danas — is Dnevni list Danas biased? Our profile of this outlet
- NATO: We See No Immediate Threat From Russian Attack for Now (opens IndexHR in a new tab)
- EU Officials Deny Imminent Russian Threat to NATO Despite CIA Visit (opens Kyiv Post in a new tab)
- Days of Fear over Putin's Threats to NATO. But Western Sources: "He Doesn't Want to Attack" (opens La Repubblica in a new tab)
La Repubblica — is La Repubblica biased? Our profile of this outlet
Centre
13- Why the Baltics are pushing back against new fears of a Russian attack (opens Euronews in a new tab)
- Romania doesn't believe Russia plans to attack NATO (opens The Kyiv Independent in a new tab)
The Kyiv Independent — is The Kyiv Independent biased? Our profile of this outlet
- NATO Sees No Imminent Threat of Russia ' S Attack on the Alliance ' S Countries (opens ZN.UA Зеркало недели in a new tab)
ZN.UA Зеркало недели — is ZN.UA Зеркало недели biased? Our profile of this outlet
- NATO Sees No Immediate Threat From Russian Attack (opens Novi list in a new tab)
- NATO and the EU Must Make Russia’s Hybrid War Costlier (opens Bloomberg in a new tab)
- NATO sees no imminent threat of attack, official says (opens The Times of Israel in a new tab)
The Times of Israel — is The Times of Israel biased? Our profile of this outlet
- NATO sees no imminent threat of attack, official says (opens Devdiscourse in a new tab)
Devdiscourse — is Devdiscourse biased? Our profile of this outlet
- NATO sees no imminent threat of attack, official says (opens Reuters in a new tab)
Show 5 more
- NATO sees no imminent threat of attack, official says (opens The Mighty 790 KFGO in a new tab)
The Mighty 790 KFGO — is The Mighty 790 KFGO biased? Our profile of this outlet
- NATO sees no imminent threat of attack, official says (opens WTVB in a new tab)
- NATO sees no imminent threat of attack, official says (opens Market Screener in a new tab)
Market Screener — is Market Screener biased? Our profile of this outlet
- The tiny corner of Europe in Putin's crosshairs (opens iNews in a new tab)
- After CIA Chief's Visit to Moscow, Sikorski Urges Poland to Speed up Defense Preparations (opens Lietuvos Radijas ir Televizija in a new tab)
Right
11- NATO doesn't see imminent attack as Russian ‘hybrid’ activity intensifies (EUAD:BATS) (opens Seeking Alpha in a new tab)
Seeking Alpha — is Seeking Alpha biased? Our profile of this outlet
- NATO Sees No "Imminent" Threat of Attack From Russia Despite Increased Hybrid Acts (opens Sapo in a new tab)
- Nato sees no imminent threat of Russian attack (opens Free Malaysia Today News in a new tab)
Free Malaysia Today News — is Free Malaysia Today News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- NATO sees no imminent threat of attack (opens anews.com.tr in a new tab)
anews.com.tr — is anews.com.tr biased? Our profile of this outlet
- NATO sees no imminent threat of attack, official says (opens The Straits Times in a new tab)
The Straits Times — is The Straits Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- NATO sees no imminent threat of attack, official says (opens WSAU in a new tab)
- NATO sees no imminent threat of attack, official says (opens KELO Newstalk 1320 107.9 in a new tab)
KELO Newstalk 1320 107.9 — is KELO Newstalk 1320 107.9 biased? Our profile of this outlet
- NATO sees no imminent threat of attack, official says (opens WTAQ in a new tab)
Show 3 more
- NATO sees no imminent threat of attack, official says (opens WKZO in a new tab)
- Poland's Foreign Minister Sikorsky stated that it is obvious Putin's spies informed the CIA director that Russia will not provoke NATO (opens news-pravda.com in a new tab)
news-pravda.com — is news-pravda.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Putin is testing NATO because he thinks the West will flinch (opens Foundation for Defense of Democracies in a new tab)
Not rated
25- European Leaders Warn Russia, but Intelligence Still Sees No Sign of an Attack on NATO (opens PSnews in a new tab)
- Russia Tests NATO Threshold (opens Adevarul in a new tab)
- How the Western Press Sees Romania's Security Faced with Moscow's Hybrid Threats (opens jurnalul.ro in a new tab)
jurnalul.ro — is jurnalul.ro biased? Our profile of this outlet
- NATO sees no imminent threat of Russian attack despite hybrid escalation (opens Новое Время in a new tab)
Новое Время
- Russia Is Testing the Limits - NATO and EU Must Make Its Hybrid Warfare More Costly (opens Capital.gr in a new tab)
Capital.gr — is Capital.gr biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- NATO Official Says There Is No Imminent Threat of Attack, Despite Russia's Hybrid Actions (opens antena3.ro in a new tab)
antena3.ro — is antena3.ro biased? Our profile of this outlet
- A NATO Official Sees No Immediate Threat From a Russian Attack (opens n1info.rs in a new tab)
- NATO on Moscow's Threats: Russia Is Intensifying Its Hybrid Actions in Europe, but There Is No Imminent Threat (opens Mediafax in a new tab)
Show 17 more
- Russia Is Intensifying Its Hybrid Actions in Europe. NATO Says How Close the Danger of an Attack Is (opens spotmedia.ro in a new tab)
spotmedia.ro — is spotmedia.ro biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Russia Is Stepping up Its Hybrid Operations. NATO: We See No Immediate Threat. (opens Rzeczpospolita in a new tab)
Rzeczpospolita — is Rzeczpospolita biased? Our profile of this outlet
- NATO sees no imminent threat of attack, official says (opens The Frontier Post in a new tab)
The Frontier Post — is The Frontier Post biased? Our profile of this outlet
- NATO Official Against "Hawks": We See No Immediate Threat From a Russian Attack (opens Naslovi.net in a new tab)
Naslovi.net — is Naslovi.net biased? Our profile of this outlet
- NATO Says There Is No Direct Military Threat, but Russia Is Stepping up Hybrid Actions in Europe (opens Liner.hu in a new tab)
- NATO: Russian Hybrid Attacks in Europe Are Increasing – "There Is No Immediate Risk of Invasion" (opens thepressroom.gr in a new tab)
thepressroom.gr — is thepressroom.gr biased? Our profile of this outlet
- NATO Official: We See No Immediate Threat From Russian Attack, Alliance Remains Vigilant (opens Telegraf in a new tab)
- NATO sees no imminent threat of attack (opens Egyptian Gazette in a new tab)
Egyptian Gazette — is Egyptian Gazette biased? Our profile of this outlet
- NATO Warns of Stronger Russian Hybrid Activities, but Sees No Immediate Threat of Attack (opens glasistre.hr in a new tab)
glasistre.hr — is glasistre.hr biased? Our profile of this outlet
- NATO Sees No Immediate Danger of an Attack From Russia (opens srpskainfo.com in a new tab)
srpskainfo.com — is srpskainfo.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- NATO Dismisses an “Imminent” Threat of Russian Attack, but Alerts for Hybrid Actions in Europe (opens El Economista in a new tab)
El Economista — is El Economista biased? Our profile of this outlet
- WHAT IS MOSCOW PLANNING? NATO Says: There Is No Direct Attack, but Russian Hybrid Actions Are Intensifying (opens Fenix Magazin in a new tab)
Fenix Magazin — is Fenix Magazin biased? Our profile of this outlet
- NATO sees no imminent threat of attack, official says (opens WIN 98.5 in a new tab)
- NATO Speaks Out on Russian Threat (opens Portfolio in a new tab)
- NATO sees no imminent threat of attack, official says (opens LBCI Lebanon in a new tab)
LBCI Lebanon — is LBCI Lebanon biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Fears of Russian Attacks on NATO (opens IMLebanon in a new tab)
- Sikorsky Recalled that Putin Promised the CIA Not to Invade Ukraine (opens Європейська правда in a new tab)
Європейська правда
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