Czech President Urges NATO to Shoot Down Russian Aircraft After 2 New Border Incursions
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 24
Czech President Urges NATO to Shoot Down Russian Aircraft After 2 New Border Incursions
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 24
Summary
Petr Pavel said NATO may have to shoot down Russian planes or drones that deliberately enter allied airspace and ignore warnings, arguing restraint now risks inviting further provocations.
Two fresh incidents sharpened that warning: Poland scrambled fighters after a Russian Mi-8 crossed from Kaliningrad on Wednesday, and Romania sent up F-16s after an unidentified aerial target entered from Ukraine on Thursday.
Pavel, a former NATO Military Committee chair, said the alliance already has procedures for accidental violations but must act decisively when incursions appear intentional because Moscow reads hesitation as weakness.
Denmark's military intelligence service on Thursday warned Russia is likely to intensify hybrid attacks in coming months and sees a low but growing risk of a limited attack on one or more NATO states bordering Russia.
Pavel also said the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East have exposed thin NATO ammunition stocks and slow procurement, underscoring his call for faster weapons production to sustain deterrence.