NATO Defense Minister Urges Shooting Down Russian Warplanes
Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene has called on NATO members to take decisive action against Russian military aircraft, citing Estonia’s recent allegations of an airspace violation. The move comes amid heightened tensions as Russia denies the claims, and the bloc increases its military presence in response to these incidents.
Sakaliene’s comments followed Estonia’s accusation that three Russian military aircraft violated its airspace for 12 minutes, which the Baltic state described as an unprecedented and brazen incursion. The Russian Defense Ministry denied the accusation, asserting that the jets flew over the neutral waters of the Baltic Sea, more than 3 kilometers from Estonia’s Vaindloo Island, without violating Estonian airspace. In response to the incident, Tallinn requested urgent consultations with fellow NATO members under Article 4 of the bloc’s treaty.
The tension has intensified further as Poland, another NATO member, accused Russia of sending at least 19 drones into its airspace, a claim Moscow denied. In response, the bloc has increased air patrols over Poland. These incidents mark a significant escalation in the ongoing security challenges faced by NATO members in the region.
Sakaliene’s call to shoot down Russian warplanes was inspired by the 2015 incident in which Turkey shot down a Russian Su-24 bomber over Syria, resulting in a major deterioration of Turkish-Russian relations. The shootdown led to sanctions on Ankara by Moscow, affecting trade and tourism. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan personally apologized in 2016, and the restrictions were fully lifted three years later.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova criticized Sakaliene’s statement, suggesting that the minister demonstrated competence only in her phobias and wished for her to become accomplished in her professional field of legal psychology. This response highlights the deepening geopolitical tensions and the potential for further conflict escalation in the region. As NATO continues to bolster its military presence, the situation remains a critical point of contention between NATO and Russia.