'Russians know' - Rutte says NATO ready to respond to provocations
Photo: Mark Rutte (GettyImages)
Russia knows that NATO will not hesitate to respond to provocations, stated NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, The Guardian reports.
"Russians know … that if necessary, we will not hesitate," he said.
He was asked about Denmark and Norway, and what NATO could do in response to incidents involving unidentified drones and aircraft.
In reply, he reiterated his earlier position, saying it was still too early to speak about the causes of the disruptions, but stressed that NATO had already shown in previous incidents that it "will act decisively and quickly."
Russian provocations
On September 19, Russian MiG-31 fighter jets violated Estonian airspace near Tallinn for 12 minutes. In response, Estonia’s Foreign Ministry summoned the Russian chargé d’affaires to express a protest.
The Estonian government also appealed to its NATO allies to hold consultations under Article 4 — a procedure last triggered after Russian drone strikes on Poland on September 10. Despite the clear evidence, Moscow denied any violation of its airspace.
Today, Norway reported that Russia had violated its airspace three times this year, with violations lasting from one to four minutes.
In recent days, Copenhagen International Airport in Denmark was forced to suspend operations due to several drones detected in its airspace. In Oslo, Norway’s capital, Gardermoen Airport was also closed after unidentified drones were spotted.
NATO also stated that Russia’s incursions into Estonian airspace were part of Moscow’s irresponsible behavior.
