NATO Allies, partners, EU and industry representatives met in Bucharest, Romania, on 15-16 October 2026 for the annual NATO Hybrid Symposium. Participants discussed Russia's hybrid activities and how to further strengthen and coordinate NATO's response.
As Russia continues its hostile hybrid activities across the Alliance, including sabotage, drone incidents and cyber attacks, NATO and Allies are taking action to counter these threats and further strengthen their resilience. Discussions focused on protecting critical infrastructure, particularly in the energy sector, and sharing lessons learned from recent incidents. Participants also discussed closer cooperation with the private sector.
In his opening remarks, NATO Assistant Secretary General Jean Charles Ellermann-Kingombe stressed that NATO Allies have the means and determination to counter hybrid threats. He underlined that Russia's hostile activities will not weaken Allied unity or NATO's ability to deter and defend, nor will they undermine Allied support for Ukraine.
Representatives from the European Union, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova shared their experiences and approaches to countering hybrid threats. The Symposium was co-organised by NATO's Cyber and Digital Transformation Division and the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the support of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Romanian Intelligence Service. It forms part of NATO's ongoing efforts to strengthen resilience, preparedness and deterrence against hybrid threats.
