Rutte says NATO members can shoot down drones if threatened, warns Russia
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (photo: Getty Images)
NATO has all the means and authority to defend every inch of the Alliance's airspace and territory, said NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in response to a question from RBC-Ukraine during a press briefing in Brussels ahead of the meeting of NATO defense ministers.
Rutte addressed the Russians in response to a question from RBC-Ukraine about whether a NATO member state can independently decide to shoot down drones.
"Let me tell the Russians that if they intentionally try anything against NATO, we have everything in place, all the authority to make sure we can defend every inch of NATO air space and territory," said the NATO Secretary General.
He noted that the Alliance is actively implementing new technologies and learning from Ukraine's experience countering hostile targets.
According to him, in the cases involving a drone in Poland and the incursion of a MiG-31 aircraft into Estonian airspace, NATO acted with restraint: when there was a threat, the drone was shot down; when there was none, F-35 fighters escorted the Russian aircraft out of Estonian airspace.
"This is exactly what we are trained and prepared for. We've been doing that for 60-70 years. We did this with the Soviets, with the Russians. I see debates in the public sphere about 'Does NATO have the authority?' Yes, we have. And, obviously, you need to adapt every day to new technologies," he added.
Drones over Europe and Russian provocations in NATO countries
In September, about twenty Russian drones violated Polish airspace, most of them entering from the territory of Belarus.
Several other incidents of airspace violations have also been recorded in NATO member states. In particular, Russian fighter jets were over Estonia for about twelve minutes.
Another two Russian aircraft appeared over the Petrobaltic oil and gas platform in the Baltic Sea. Following this, the governments of several European countries stated that they were ready to shoot down Russian planes in the event of another intrusion into their airspace.
In addition, several European countries have reported unidentified drone activity near strategic facilities. In Denmark, Norway, France, Germany, and Sweden, drones have been spotted near airports, military bases, and critical infrastructure sites.
Recently, several drones caused a temporary shutdown of Gardermoen Airport in Oslo, Norway, and in Geilenkirchen, Germany, an unidentified device flew over a NATO air base. Similar incidents have been recorded in other countries in the region.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) links these incidents to Russia's hybrid campaign, suggesting that the Kremlin is testing NATO's air defense response and the political resolve of EU countries.
