Kubilius: a Russian strike on an arms factory in Europe should trigger NATO Article 5

A Russian missile or air strike on a defense enterprise on the territory of a European NATO country should be considered under Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty on collective defense.

This was stated by European Commissioner for Defense and Space Andrius Kubilius, reports Politico. His representative clarified to the publication that this refers specifically to a direct military strike – for example, a missile or air attack on a factory.

"If Russia strikes our factories on European territory, it will be Article 5," – said Kubilius after a meeting of the European Parliament's Security and Defense Committee.

The statement came after threats from the Russian Foreign Ministry against European enterprises producing weapons for Ukraine. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova on September 30 called such factories potential military targets for Russia. The occasion was a question about the possible deployment of Patriot missile production in Poland.

However, Kubilius's words are not an official NATO decision. The European Commission does not determine whether a specific incident falls under Article 5, and the Alliance itself assesses each case of armed attack separately. Politico also cites a NATO diplomat who emphasized that the decision to invoke the collective defense mechanism is within the competence of the Alliance countries.

According to NATO's official explanation, Article 5 stipulates that an armed attack on one ally is considered an attack on all. However, it does not mean automatic entry into war by all states: each of them independently determines the necessary measures of assistance, which may include the use of armed force.

The topic of protecting European defense industry has become particularly relevant amid a series of suspicious incidents. In particular, Estonian authorities stated that Russian intelligence services were behind the August arson of the building of Milrem Robotics in Tallinn, which produces unmanned ground systems and supplies them to Ukraine. In several other European countries, possible acts of sabotage against defense enterprises are also being investigated.

At the NATO summit in Ankara in July, the allies once again confirmed the principle that an attack on one member of the Alliance is considered an attack on all, and agreed to expand defense production amid a long-term threat from Russia.