British General Mike Elvis, commander of NATO's Allied Rapid Reaction Force, has warned that the Russian military is now stronger, more dangerous and more combatively experienced than it was at the start of the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, describing it as "accustomed to war."
In remarks from a secret headquarters in London, the general estimated the likelihood of a direct military confrontation between NATO and Moscow over the next five years at as much as "50 percent," stressing that the post-Cold War peace phase is effectively over, forcing Western governments to raise their readiness and accelerate armament plans to confront the alliance's main adversary.
NATO Plans from Secret Headquarters Down London
General Elvis' comments came during an inspection tour of a secret military headquarters set up in abandoned tunnels under central London, where NATO conducts advanced digital drills and simulations of the scenario of a large-scale war with Russia.
In these exercises, the alliance used huge displays and data analysis systems to monitor potential Russian troop movements and identify defensive gaps in the flank of Eastern Europe, drawing on the strength of the Rapid Reaction Corps, which it commands and includes some 60,000 troops from Britain, Italy, Canada and Sweden when it is fully deployed.
The military commander warned of Moscow's accumulation of combat experience
The British military commander explained to The Telegraph that what is of real concern to Western military circles is not only Russia's arsenal, but also the extensive field experience gained by Russian soldiers and generals after years of continuous fighting and adaptation to modern battles in Ukraine.
Elvis warned that the end of the war in Ukraine would not mean the stability of the continent, but could give the Kremlin a golden opportunity to rebuild and direct its experienced forces toward other fronts in Eastern Europe.
NATO changes its traditional concepts
General Elvis stressed that the lessons learned from the Ukraine war have forced NATO to revise its traditional battle management strategies, as major military headquarters and fixed concentrations have become easy and exposed targets for ballistic missiles and pounced drones.
He noted that the alliance has replaced them with the creation of highly protected mobile and secret "digital command headquarters", which rely mainly on artificial intelligence technology to analyze intelligence and make decisive military decisions at a faster pace than the adversary's plans on the ground.
The Division of Psychological Readiness in the Old Continent between East and West
The military official pointed to a clear disparity in the level of public awareness and psychological readiness among the peoples of the European continent, as Russia's immediate neighbors such as Sweden, Finland and Estonia view the Russian threat with the utmost seriousness and are fortified militarily and psychologically for any possible escalation.
On the other hand, Elvis criticized the lack of awareness among a large part of British society and the people of Western Europe of the nature of the dangerous security transformations, calling on Western governments to open a frank and courageous discussion with their citizens to put the defense and national security files back to the top of the priorities of political action.
The unprecedented warnings come at a time when NATO is undergoing its biggest reorganization of its forces and deterrence capabilities in decades. Military experts agree that the accession of countries such as Finland and Sweden to the alliance has moved the direct front line with Moscow to thousands of new kilometers, making the Baltic Sea and Eastern Europe hotspots for explosions.
Security backgrounds indicate that NATO is currently racing against time to raise the strike power of the rapid deployment forces and modernize its conventional arsenal, driven by the "doctrine of adaptation" demonstrated by the Russian economy and military by shifting to the "war economy" pattern, which has made military leaders in London and Washington realize that any truce or settlement in Ukraine may be nothing but a "warrior's break" that Moscow exploits to prepare its military machine for a broader and more dangerous round of conflict with the Western camp.