PDB Afternoon Bulletin | September 29th, 2026: Russia Carries Out an Attack on NATO Soil & Iran’s Cryptocurrency Network
Summary
This PDB Afternoon Bulletin covers an alleged Russian sabotage attack on an Estonian defense firm, highlighting Europe’s urgent need for a common framework to respond to hybrid warfare that falls short of Article 5 triggers. The episode also details a Senate investigation revealing that Iran heavily relies on Tether’s USDT stablecoin to bypass US sanctions, moving funds through a shadow banking network. Host Mike Baker analyzes the complexities of deterrence and proportionate responses to these sub-threshold threats, while noting that increased enforcement pressure is already pushing Irania…
Topics discussed
Introduction and episode preview
Spotlight: The challenge of responding to Russian hybrid attacks
Estonia attributes Milgram Robotics arson to Russian security services
Estonia urges NATO to condemn and attribute hybrid operations
EU proposes emergency security protocol for hybrid threats
The ambiguity of hybrid warfare and Article 5 triggers
Debate over proportionate responses and deterrence costs
Why the Milgram case is driving current policy debates
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Senate report: Iran uses cryptocurrency to bypass sanctions
How USDT stablecoins function as a digital dollar workaround
Iranian central bank purchases and Bitfinex hack links
Tether compliance issues and shifting Iranian crypto usage
Closing remarks and contact information
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