US intel warns Russia could launch limited attack on NATO ally in effort to fragment organization: report

Russian President Vladimir Putin could onslaught a NATO subordinate state successful the adjacent fewer years successful an effort to fragment the post-World War II enactment and trial Article 5, caller U.S. quality has found, according to a report.

While U.S. quality had antecedently assessed that Putin wouldn’t motorboat an battle connected a NATO state portion inactive progressive successful the warfare successful Ukraine, the Russian president is present looking for a triumph arsenic Ukraine makes gains, and the U.S. and Europe person seen expanding signs that helium is investigating the organization, according to a study from the Wall Street Journal.

That includes a drone that deed a Romanian flat gathering successful May and cruise missiles that landed successful Poland precocious past month, a NATO country.

RUSSIA PREPARING HYBRID ATTACKS ON NATO'S EASTERN FLANK, INTELLIGENCE WARNS

Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a Security Council gathering successful Moscow connected Friday, Aug. 7, 2026. (Alexander Kazakov/Pool Sputnik Kremlin via AP)

Article 5 of NATO states that an onslaught connected 1 state is an onslaught connected each countries.

The appraisal said it would apt beryllium a constricted onslaught that could scope anyplace from a cyberattack to a small-scale onshore incursion and would apt beryllium focused connected the Baltics oregon Poland.

The onslaught could hap immoderate clip betwixt this autumn and 2029, the appraisal said.

"The question people is however the United States would respond successful that case," Heather Conley, elder chap with the American Enterprise Institute, told the Journal. "It has ever been a extremity [of Russia’s] to situation the credibility of NATO and to abstracted the United States from its allies."

THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT AMERICAN WEAPONS SYSTEMS NATO IS EAGER TO HAVE

The appraisal besides comes amid claims the United States’ munitions stockpile has been depleted by arms sent to enactment Ukraine and owed to the warfare successful Iran.

Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell, however, called those claims false.

Police and forensic investigators analyse the determination of interaction aft a Russian drone struck an flat gathering successful Galati, eastbound Romania, connected May 29, 2026. The drone wounded 2 people, according to Romania's defence ministry, marking the latest spillover from the four-year warfare into the NATO-member state. (AFP via Getty Images)

"We person everything required to onslaught astatine the clip and spot of the President’s choosing," Parnell told the Journal. "Across aggregate combatant commands, we person already executed palmy operations portion maintaining a deep, acceptable arsenal to support our radical and our interests. Any adversary who confuses media sound with American weakness volition observe the information the hard way."

A onshore incursion was deemed the slightest apt due to the fact that it would trigger Article 5, but it’s unclear what the effect would beryllium to thing similar a cyberattack.

REPORT WARNS RUSSIA USING SHADOW FLEET TO PROBE NATO DRONE DEFENSES

The Polish service secures a ample crater, the probable interaction tract of a projectile linked to overnight strikes successful Ukraine, successful Tarnawa-Kolonia, eastbound Poland, connected July 30, 2026. NATO said it was successful adjacent interaction with Warsaw and blamed Russia for the missile. (TVN POLAND/AFPTV/AFP via Getty Images)

"This has ever been NATO’s situation to respond to a sub-Article Five attack, and it’s been precise existent that to this point, NATO allies person preferred not to escalate," Conley told the Journal.

Fox News Digital has reached retired to NATO for comment.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Col. Martin O’Donnell, a NATO spokesman, told the Journal: "We are ever reasoning done and preparing for immoderate fig of scenarios. NATO is watching and we are acceptable to deter and support arsenic necessary, which we proceed to demonstrate."