Russian President Vladimir Putin may test the NATO alliance’s strength with an attack on an allied European country as early as the northern hemisphere autumn – in a matter of weeks.

NATO's top transformation commander says the West cannot produce enough Patriot missiles and must redesign its entire weapons industrial base.

The findings mark a significant change in Washington's assessment. Until recently, US officials believed Putin would avoid confronting NATO directly while Russia remained tied down in Ukraine. That view has now shifted.

NATO fighter jets were scrambled over 250% more as Russia tests the West's defenses amid growing fears of World War Three. The dramatic surge in monthly figures for July, compared to the same period in 2025, underscores Vladimir Putin's increasingly aggressive military posture.

Aircraft scrambles along NATO's eastern border increased by 250% in July 2026 compared to July 2025, due to Russian military planes skirting Alliance airspace without flight plans.