NYT on the situation, part ten and over.

[Mark Kohut]

The danger of exposing those intelligence collection techniques is real.
The Kremlin could lock down its communications right before a potential
invasion.

“This strategy is not risk free,” Ms. Sanner said. “If Russians are able to
figure out the sources or they change how they communicate or just start
locking down, it has the potential to partially blind us right at the very
moment when we may need it.”

Other strategists believe that the United States could be more aggressive.
The United States or its allies could release information about Mr. Putin’s
top lieutenants, for example, or the oligarchs who support him. That could
sow doubt about people’s loyalty, or expose their wealth.

“The new rules of war favor autocracies because they can do all these
things well: They can fight sneaky and dirty,” said Sean McFate, a senior
fellow at the Atlantic Council who has written about the changing nature of
war. “The question is what do we risk as a democracy by fighting this way?
How does a democracy fight a secret war, if you will, without losing its
democratic soul?”

Eric Schmitt and Robin Stein contributed reporting.



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