Could Russia be planning military operations in the West?

Around the time of the Russian incursion into Ukraine, I recall Russian commentators close to the Kremlin hinting that Putin might not limit himself to denazifying and demilitarizing just Ukraine.

No further details were provided and there has been little or no news about that.

However, the following passage from Putin’s speech to the foreign ministry sounded a bit like a warning:

It’s time to gradually wind down the military presence of external powers in the Eurasian region, he said. Here the vector is towards the United States, which has assigned itself the role of managers of Europe. So goodbye, US military bases.

This remark seems to come sort of out of the blue and we are given no clue as to how the US military bases might be eliminated.

The transfer of Russian ships and planes  to the New World might be a clue. For instance, Russia has hypersonic missiles deployed at a distance of 10 minutes from Washington as the Kinzhal flies. With this situation serving as a blocker, Russia might feel confident enough to strike a European air base in the event one of the newly transferred F-16s is shown to have taken off from a base in Romania or Poland, for example, before flying into Russia or Ukraine to attack Russian assets. That would make the country hosting the departure base a party to the war against Russia.

Translation with my notes in bold and in [brackets]

IS THE GEOGRAPHY OF THE SPECIAL MILITARY OPERATION EXPANDING? RUSSIA SENT SHIPS TO THE SHORES OF THE USA FOR A REASON

Collage by Tsargrad

Military analysts suggest that the new “Carribean crisis” will be the next stage of escalation between Russia and Western countries. Is the geography of the Northern Military District [the zone of the Special Military Operation] expanding? Moscow takes seriously NATO threats in the coming months, because the Ukrainian Armed Forces will not miss the opportunity to attack border areas with new weapons. In this regard, our country sent ships to the shores of the United States, and this is not without reason.

Russia resurrects the “ghost of the Cuban missile crisis”

Russian warships and a nuclear submarine were sent to the shores of Cuba, causing concern among the American leadership, which associates this action with the transfer of military aid to Kiev from the United States. Some analysts call this Russian move the “ghost of the Caribbean crisis.”

At the moment, the newest frigate Admiral Gorshkov, the nuclear submarine Kazan, the tanker Akademik Pashin and the Navy rescue tug Nikolai Chiker have already arrived in Cuba. All these ships will remain in the Caribbean until June 17. According to Cuban authorities, they do not have nuclear weapons, which eliminates the threat. However, Russian media reports that the frigate has hypersonic Zircon missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

Hans Christensen, head of the nuclear information project of the Federation of American Scientists, ironically noted that he doubts the absence of nuclear weapons on the ships and believes that the Cubans probably do not know about it themselves. The American Institute for the Study of War claims that Russia is deliberately reviving the “ghost of the Cuban Missile Crisis” of 1962, when the world stood on the verge of nuclear war.

"ADMIRAL GORSHKOV" IS ONE OF THE MOST MODERN VESSELS OF THE RUSSIAN NAVY AND IS CAPABLE OF CARRYING HYPERSONIC MISSILES ON BOARD.

According to the Institute for the Study of War, "The Kremlin appears to have timed the announcement of Russian ships to Cuba to coincide with Putin's threats to provide some unnamed countries with long-range offensive weapons to strike the West, both of which could cause fear in the West."

The United States, however, is confident that no global conflict currently threatens the world: the exercises supposedly do not cause alarm to the administration of President Joe Biden. Russia, in turn, does not comment on the statements of the United States and Cuba. Washington was not warned in advance about plans to send ships to Cuba. However, noted the author of the Czech publication idnes.cz Jan Hron, such warnings should be sounded if the state does not desire an escalation of the conflict.

The visit of naval forces from other states is a long-standing tradition of the revolutionary government in interaction with the peoples with whom Cuba maintains friendship and cooperation, reported a Cuban source in response to concerns.

It turned out awkward: the United States does not see threats from Russia, but still sent a nuclear submarine

After the Russian Navy ships arrived in Cuba, the Americans also sent the nuclear submarine Helena to the island. The appearance of two powerful Russian warships in close proximity to the American coast has caused concern in Washington, especially in the context of growing tensions with Moscow.

The US military says the submarine is in the Gulf of Cuba as part of a planned visit. However, the Associated Press (AP) revealed the awkward moment. According to them, the secret arrival of [the USS] Helena is intended to demonstrate its strength in response to the appearance of Russian ships. The Americans are currently keeping watch in the waters near their military base at Guantanamo Bay.

The boat is equipped with Mk48 ADCAP heavy torpedoes, land-based Tomahawk jet-powered cruise missiles, and Harpoon anti-ship missiles with a range of up to 70 nautical miles. In addition, there are mine launchers and grapple mines.

Previously, American authorities claimed that they did not see a threat from our ships in Cuba.

"We will be monitoring them closely... We do not expect this event to pose a threat to our national security," John Kirby, strategic communications coordinator at the White House National Security Council, said on CNN.

Washington is just a missile ride away

A group of Russian Navy ships, including a nuclear submarine, arrived in Cuba as a sign of strengthening friendly ties between the two countries. This visit was widely covered by the world's leading news agencies. The United States is frightened by the visit of Russian ships and a nuclear submarine to Cuba.

Russia can place its warheads in the Caribbean at a distance of 5-10 minutes by [hypersonic] flight from Washington, American experts point out.

The American television channel CBS News notes that joyful crowds were seen on the shore watching small boats accompany a group of Russian ships entering the harbor of Havana.

The TV channel states that the arrival of powerful sea vessels coincided with another event - Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow.

A video appeared on Western social networks, allegedly demonstrating the reaction of the US Air Force to the presence of our warships in Cuba. Judging by the footage, military helicopters, planes and reconnaissance UAVs are flying over the beaches of Miami non-stop.

According to political scientist Gilbert Doctorow, [by visiting his ships] Putin is saying that Russia has an answer to every threat from the United States.

By sending Russian ships to the Caribbean, Putin is making a direct statement to the West: if the United States places its missiles within a 10-20 minute flight from Moscow or St. Petersburg, then he can respond in kind. Russia can place its warheads in the Caribbean at a distance of 5-10 minutes by flight from Washington. The US will not have time to retaliate and these missiles will be impossible to stop, RIA Novosti quotes the expert as saying. [This is as symmetrical a response as you can get. Russia has been worried that NATO’s Steadfast Defender drills the ended on May 31 saw ships with missiles that could have hit Russian exclave Kaliningrad in a matter of minutes!]

Conclusion

It was not without reason that Russia sent ships to the shores of the United States. As the authors of the analytical telegram channel “Secret Chancellery” write, the new “Carribean crisis” will become the next stage of escalation between Russia and the West.

According to insiders, Moscow is taking seriously the threats posed by NATO in the coming months. By the end of summer, the Ukrainian Armed Forces plan to use Western weapons to intensify shelling of border regions, including violations of Russian airspace and provocations in the capital.

The calculation is simple: the “red lines” are blurred and forgotten, which allows NATO to get involved in the conflict without unnecessary risks, explain the authors of the channel.

By 2025, the Ukrainian authorities are planning a new wave of mobilization, affecting even 18-year-olds. The illegitimate President Zelensky does not intend to negotiate, as this could be “political suicide.” [It is reported that the mobilization in Ukraine is not going well. Almost no men can be found on the streets by the recruiters. Vast numbers have either left the country or have been killed or decapacitated in previous battles, commonly called “meatgrinders.”]

In response, Russia will maximally expand the geography of the Northern Military District (attempts to open fronts in the Kharkov and Sumy oblasts [actually, the Kharkov battles are well underway and the Russians are winning] and move towards the use of nuclear weapons (if combined strikes on Russian territory are effective), they add in the “Secret Chancellery”.

Just like during the Cold War, Moscow is hoping the West will be the first to retreat. The return of Donald Trump and the “right turn” in Europe could play into the hands of the Kremlin. It is expected that the conflict will escalate by the end of summer or autumn of this year with maximum efforts from Russia and Ukraine.

Experts note that Vladimir Putin's speech should be seen as a step towards more tense relations.

The stakes are getting higher and so is the cost of making a mistake, it said in conclusion.

**

Here is your daily air strike update for June 15, 2024

Translation with my notes in bold and in [brackets]

https://pronedra.ru/rakety-vspahali-aviabazy-vsu-hot-kartoshku-sazhaj-karta-speczialnoj-voennoj-operaczii-na-ukraine-na-15-iyunya-2024-goda-731541.html

Missiles plowed up the air bases of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which are now good for little more than planting potatoes: Map of the special military operation in Ukraine as of June 15,

June 15, 2024 Yulia Sokolova

In Vasilkov, the elimination of the consequences of the attack is still ongoing: rescue teams are clearing the rubble at the local airbase. Acrid smoke still hangs over the airfield in Boryspil. Meanwhile, Russian aviation again attacked military targets in Ukraine, this time targeting air bases in Starokonstantinov in the Khmelnitsky oblast, Bila Tserkva in the Kiev oblast and Mirgorod in the Poltava oblast, writes aif.ru.

In the rhythm of strikes: The Russian Air Force and the strategy of containment

Updated map of the military operation in Ukraine, military operations and the situation on the fronts on the morning of June 15 from telegrams of the Colonelcassad Telegram channel

Analysis of the situation at the front and in the world on June 15, 2024 and Operation Z: Military Correspondents of the Russian Spring

After the liberation of Georgievka, the Russian army broke into Maksimilyanovka,

The attack began at dawn with the launch of missiles and drones. After several hours, despite the efforts of firefighters, the fire is still engulfing the Ukrainian Air Force buildings, creating serious obstacles to containing the flames.

So far, the situation remains tense, and the ability to extinguish the fire is limited.

In the rhythm of strikes: The Russian Air Force and the strategy of containment

Russia's military strategy has a special rhythm. If you draw up a schedule and mark in it the dates of attacks by Russian armed forces on Ukrainian air force targets, it will become obvious that attacks are carried out with enviable regularity. Previously, Russian military experts argued that it was necessary to hit the infrastructure of the Ukrainian Air Force at least once a month. However, now the rhythm of raids has increased to once or twice a week. The cycle of actions is simple: bomb, extinguish, restor and back into battle.

Alexander Ivanovsky, a well-known military analyst, emphasizes that systemic attacks on Ukrainian airfields not only destroy military infrastructure, but also send a clear signal to the West. The message concerns the inadmissibility of using NATO airfields for attacks against Russia. This is especially relevant in light of plans to station American F-16 aircraft at Ukrainian airfields. According to Ivanovsky, even if only one airfield is involved, it is hardly possible to provide effective cover for it. Ukrainian air defenses simply cannot cope with the load, and a significant part of the missiles and drones will reach their targets.

The effect of the strikes is clear not only to the Ukrainian side, but also to the West, which can assess the potential risks for its own border bases. The question remains open for NATO: is the game worth the candle? Perhaps it is precisely such actions of Russia that will force us to reconsider the current strategy of military presence in the region, pronedra.ru clarifies.

**

Translation with my notes in bold and in [brackets]

https://www.gazeta.ru/social/news/2024/06/15/23255143.shtml

June 15, 2024

An air raid alert has been declared in five oblasts of Ukraine

"Strana.ua": two explosions occurred in Poltava after a missile alarm

Ekaterina Rezanova-Yatskevich

An air and missile alert has been declared in five eastern oblasts of Ukraine. This is evidenced by the air alert map of the Ministry of Digital Development of Ukraine.

Sirens sound in the Kharkov, Dnepropetrovsk, Poltava, Cherkasy and Kirovograd oblasts, as well as in the Kiev-controlled parts of the LPR and DPR.

According to the Ukrainian publication Strana.ua, explosions occurred at least twice in Poltava. At the same time, the head of the Poltava OVO (regional military administration) Philip Pronin announced that there were no arrivals and no casualties.

On the afternoon of June 15, an explosion was also reported in the city of Mirgorod, Poltava oblast.

Local residents reported hearing the sound of an explosion. Shortly before this, the Air Force reported that missiles were moving towards the city. Journalists noted that there is a military airfield in Mirgorod.

The Russian military began targeting Ukrainian infrastructure in October 2022, shortly after the Crimean Bridge explosion. Since then, air raid alerts have been announced regularly in various oblasts of Ukraine, often throughout the country. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, attacks are carried out on facilities in the energy sector, defense industry, military command and communications.

Earlier, Ukraine stated that Russian aircraft began dropping 16 times more bombs.

**

It seems that the resistance fronts are getting stronger and stronger even as Israeli power declines. Now add to this the recent Putin threat to transfer Russian weapons to states that are enemies of the US.

https://tass.com/world/1804025

Houthis claim the ship Verbena, which they attacked, sinks in Gulf of Aden

Attacked ship "is at risk of sinking in a few hours," the Houthi spokesman said

DUBAI, June 15. /TASS/. The Ukrainian ship Verbena, attacked by Yemen’s Houthi rebels from the Ansar Allah movement, has sunk in the Gulf of Aden, and another vessel, the Greek-owned bulk carrier Tutor, could sink in in the coming hours, Yahya Saree, Houthi military spokesman, said.

"The Verbena, which was attacked for breaking the ban on sailing to ports in occupied Palestine, has sunk in the Gulf of Aden after being hit with several missiles. The Tutor vessel, which was attacked by an uncrewed sailing drone as well as several ballistic missiles and drones, is at risk of sinking in a few hours," the Houthi spokesman wrote on his X page.

[Since Russia has warned it will arm countries that are enemies of the US, it would not be surprising if the Houthis and other Resistance groups were seen to acquire more and better arms.]

**

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/6/13/hezbollah-launches-rockets-drones-at-northern-israel-military-sites

Hezbollah launches rockets, drones at northern Israel military sites

The Lebanese group fired 150 rockets and 30 suicide drones at 15 Israeli military positions, Hezbollah official says.

Fire in Israel

Israeli firefighters work to put out a fire following rocket attacks from Lebanon near the border on its Israeli side, June 13, 2024 [Avi Ohayon/Reuters]

By Al Jazeera Staff

Published On 13 Jun 2024

13 Jun 2024

Hezbollah has said it launched a major drone and rocket attack targeting several Israeli military bases amid growing fears of an all-out war between the Lebanese armed group and Israel.

It was the largest attack by the Iran-aligned group since the outbreak of violence between the two sides on October 8, a Hezbollah source told Al Jazeera Arabic on Thursday.

The group said the attack in northern Israel was in retaliation for the assassination of senior commander Taleb Abdullah – known as Abu Taleb – in an Israeli air raid in the southern Lebanese village of Jouaiya earlier this week.

The source said the “compound attack” also aimed to establish deterrence after the killing of Abdullah.

The Lebanese group used 150 rockets and 30 explosive drones to target 15 Israeli positions, including some in the occupied Golan Heights, the source said.

Israeli media outlets reported that Hezbollah rockets wounded at least two people and started 15 fires.

The Israeli military said in a post on X that “numerous” launches were intercepted and that some ignited fires.

In an official statement, Hezbollah said the operation was “in support of the steadfast Palestinian people and their courageous and honourable resistance in Gaza and in the context of the response to the assassination that the Zionist enemy carries out in Jouaiyya”.

**

Translation with my notes in bold and in [brackets]

https://news.ru/regions/rossijskie-voennye-unichtozhili-dve-raketnye-ustanovki-ssha-v-zone-svo/

The Russian military destroyed two more US missile launchers in the Northern Military District zone

Russian Ministry of Defense: The Armed Forces destroyed HIMARS and MLRS launchers

June 15, 2024

Over the past 24 hours, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed American HIMARS and M270 MLRS launchers, as well as one Gvozdika howitzer in the Dnepropetrovsk oblast, the press service of the Russian Ministry of Defense reports. In addition, the Russian military struck the personnel and equipment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the areas of the settlements of Vysshetarasovka and Dobraya Nadiya.

The losses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces amounted to 75 military personnel and three vehicles. In addition, the US-made M142 HIMARS and US-made M270 MLRS MLRS launchers were destroyed, the ministry said.

On June 14, TASS, citing Russian security forces, stated that Russian forces hit the command center of the State Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. As noted, it was located in the police building in Krivoy Rog. The Russian Ministry of Defense did not comment on this information. The channel’s publication notes that Russian Geran-2 UAVs also operated in these areas.

Prior to this, the Telegram channel Voywnnoye Khronika [Military Chronicle] reported that the Russian Aerospace Forces attacked key airfields of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Ukraine. According to the channel, the strikes hit objects near Bila Tserkva near Kiev, in Mirgorod, Poltava oblast, and Starokonstantinov, Khmelnitsky oblast. The Russian Ministry of Defense did not comment on this information.

**

Newsletter by western expat with good information about life in Russia, including for expats (health care is free)

https://voicefromrussia.ch/en/russia-today-inside-view-of-a-swiss-peter-hanseler-in-an-interview-with-swiss-standpoint/

**

Pepe Escobar

Russia is prepared for war with West

https://www.youtube.com/live/A4fll7taZTw

**

The night Israel killed my family

On the night of March 2 Israel wiped out four generations of my family. I barely survived the slaughter. It is now my responsibility to tell their story.

https://israelpalestinenews.org/the-night-israel-killed-my-family/

**

More bad news for Israel

https://www.palestinechronicle.com/gaza-live-blog-93-countries-support-icc-action-israel-bombs-gaza-city-barak-war-against-hamas-is-failure-day-253/

GAZA LIVE BLOG: Eight Soldiers Killed in Rafah | Hagari: Military Option Not Enough | World Supports ICC despite US Threats – Day 253

June 15, 2024

**

Israel continues to carry out massacres against Palestinian civilians in Gaza.(Photo: Mahmoud Ajjour, Palestine Chronicle)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff 

A joint statement from 93 countries affirmed their support for the International Criminal Court, renewing their determination to stand united against impunity.

Scores of Palestinians were killed and injured in the Israeli bombing of the Shejaiya and Al-Tuffah neighborhoods in Gaza City.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak said that the war against Hamas is a failure and must be stopped.

According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 37,296 Palestinians have been killed, and 85,197 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.

**

Translation with my notes in bold and in [brackets]

https://tsargrad.tv/news/do-svidanija-voennye-bazy-ssha-rossija-nachinaet-vychishhat-granicy_1014548 

GOODBYE, US MILITARY BASES: RUSSIA STARTS CLEARING BORDERS

President Vladimir Putin made a number of statements at a meeting with the leadership of the Russian Foreign Ministry. One of the key ones is that Russia is starting to clear out its borders. In the future, the goal is to completely curtail the military presence of external powers in the Eurasian region, the president noted. The essence of the message is that we need to say goodbye to military bases in Europe.

“It won’t be the same as before”

As Vladimir Putin noted, today we have come unacceptably close to the point of no return - calls to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia demonstrate outrageous adventurism.

“The world is changing rapidly. It will no longer be the same,” the Russian President emphasized.

At the same time, the head of state noted that Russia is interested in the dialogue on creating an indivisible security system taking place within the walls of the UN.

According to him, at the end of the twentieth century the world had a unique chance to build a reliable security system. Russia was for this, but the West decided differently.

As the president noted, all our attempts to reason with our interlocutors found no answer. Western countries simply ignored other opinions.

There are also allegations that Russia will attack Europe. And this is absolute nonsense.

The main threat to Europe is total dependence on the United States. Europe is increasingly being pushed to the margins of global economic development.

If Europe wants to remain one of the centers of the world, it needs to be on good terms with Russia. It is necessary to begin a broad discussion of guarantees of collective security in Eurasia, Vladimir Putin emphasized.

It’s time to gradually wind down the military presence of external powers in the Eurasian region, he said. Here the vector is towards the United States, which has assigned itself the role of managers of Europe. So goodbye, US military bases. [Putin has been vague (intentionally?) about how he will get rid of the US bases. We will have to wait for more clues as time goes on. I suspect that the elimination of the bases will be linked to the results of the war. One clue is a look at the way African states have been demanding the closure of US and French bases and the Americans and French are slowly leaving, replaced by Russians. Another clue is the new foreign agent laws in Georgia, which are being initiated by the Georgian legislators themselves. These laws are banning regime change agents like George Soros]

In addition, we must understand that any Western attempts to steal Russian assets will not go unpunished.

The events in Ukraine are a direct result of the aggressive policy of the West, which it has been pursuing all these years.

This is "not a conflict between two states"

Also, during a speech at the Foreign Ministry, Putin spoke about the legitimacy of Vladimir Zelensky.

“In May 2014, the Constitutional Court of Ukraine ruled that the president is elected for five years, regardless of whether he is elected in regular or early elections,” the president recalled.

The constitutional status of the president does not contain rules that would establish a term other than five years. The court's decision was final and not subject to appeal. For some reason, the West decided not to notice this, Putin noted. [Zelensky’s term expired on May 21 but he has simply squatted in his HQ since then, supported tacitly by the West. He is extremely unpopular and is hanging on by a thread]

He also added that the cancellation of presidential elections in Ukraine is a show, and the source of power of the Kiev regime is an armed coup.

If the Verkhovna Rada is a legitimate body in Ukraine, then Zelensky’s legitimacy cannot be restored by any tricks.

The president also recalled the events in Bucha: “Ukraine committed a dirty provocation in Bucha in order to somehow explain the rejection of the peace agreement that Russia proposed.” [The Ukes organized a well-publicize hoax in the town of Bucha near the start of the war, falsely claiming it was the scene of a slaughter by the Russian forces during their brief stay in the Kiev oblast. The story fell apart but kept being supported by the Western and Ukrainian media]

The President explained that the Ukrainian crisis is not a conflict between two states, much less between two peoples. The events in Ukraine are a direct consequence of the aggressive and unceremonious policy that Western elites pursued even before the start of the Northeast Military District.

At the same time, while the United States is talking with might and main about the dismemberment of Russia, calling it “decolonization,” the West itself is trying to lay an ideological basis for the split of Russia along national lines.

The Americans specifically nurtured neo-Nazis in Ukraine in order to turn the country into anti-Russia in order to implement their geopolitical plans. [This started in the Obama administration, which turned the peaceful Maidan protest into a violent coup, after which US officials, notably Neocon Victoria Nuland, installed a new Neonazi government that started bombing and then shelling civilians in Donbass, then shadow banning all news of this virtual genocide ] NATO tried to turn Ukraine into its springboard for the fight against our country, did everything to incite peoples against each other, the president stated.

Komsomolskaya Pravda military correspondent Alexander Kots in Telegram also drew attention to the president’s words about the conditions of the ceasefire and negotiations.

Thus, Putin is calling for Ukraine to withdraw all its troops from the territories of Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporozhye and Kherson oblasts andaAll territories within the administrative borders of Ukraine. And refuse to join NATO.

After this we immediately cease fire.

“Well, you understand. As I have said many times, there will be no ‘negotiations’. Conditions have not yet been created on the ground to force Kiev to take such a step,” the author concluded.

Today Russia is making another real peace proposal, but if the West and Kiev refuse, it is their responsibility for the bloodshed, Putin said. We are not talking about freezing the conflict, but about its final completion. [This leads us to suspect that Putin has a further escalation in mind but is not being specific]

There is also a thesis in the West that Russia started the war. I repeat, Putin noted, that Russia did not start the war. The Kiev regime began hostilities. This is aggression.

Russian troops were stationed near Kiev, but there was no talk of storming the city of three million.

The goal of the SVO is to protect people in Donbass, carry out the demilitarization of Ukraine and denazify the country, the president also recalled.

Earlier it became known that the command of the Ukrainian Air Force announced that some of the F-16 fighters would be stationed at air bases of NATO countries. Most likely, we are talking about Poland, Romania and Bulgaria, since they are located closest to Ukraine - it is there that the construction of defense and strengthening of the main military airfields, which are filled with Patriot air defense systems, are actively taking place. This step is explained by the fact that most of Ukraine’s airfields were damaged or destroyed by attacks by our aerospace forces and UAVs. That is, there is simply nowhere to put expensive American fighters - the cost of one unit is more than 55 million dollars.

Military experts previously reported that the Ukrainian infrastructure is, in principle, unsuitable for Western aircraft, since it was built to Soviet, not NATO standards. In particular, it was argued that Ukrainian runways are too short for the F-16 to take off. And if the Russians notice that the enemy has begun to expand them, the airfield will again be attacked.

The “partners” of the Kiev regime want to use Western airfields as a means of defense. They hope that the Russians will not be determined enough to strike airfields in European countries, since this will be perceived as an attack on NATO.