Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto has called for the urgent creation of a new civil-military unit, numbering up to 5,000 people, to counter the growing threats of hybrid warfare. The minister presented this initiative in a strategic report published today, amid heightened readiness of European governments for possible attacks combining military and non-military actions. This is reported by Reuters, writes UNN.
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In his report, Crosetto emphasized the need to protect critical sectors, such as energy infrastructure and airports, from hybrid threats. He also stressed the importance of creating a center to combat disinformation.
It is necessary, using clear tools and in a short time, to develop a predictive and adaptive capacity for actions aimed at preventing, deterring and absorbing hybrid attacks.
The minister explained that the new unit should operate "24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year" and will initially have a staff of 1,200-1,500 people, with a subsequent expansion to 5,000.
His proposal was discussed at high-level defense talks held on Monday with the participation of Italian President Sergio Mattarella, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Chief of Staff General Luciano Portolano.
President Mattarella's office confirmed that the talks "addressed the issue of hybrid threats from Russia and other hostile foreign actors as a complex challenge to the security of Europe and Italy, as well as the integrity of democratic processes."
Russia, for its part, denies responsibility for recent suspicious incidents in Europe.