NATO mobilizes more air defences after Russian airspace violation

NATO is launching a new initiative to protect its eastern European members following Russia’s violation of Polish airspace, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte says.

The new mission will “bolster our posture even further along our eastern flank,” said Rutte, speaking alongside NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe Alexus Grynkewich, and will involve a range of assets from several NATO members.

“Our assessment of the incidents on Wednesday is ongoing and whether or not Russia’s actions were deliberate, Russia violated NATO airspace,” Rutte said, about the incident in which 19 Russian drones entered Polish airspace.

“Whether intentional or not, it is dangerous and unacceptable,” he added.

Rutte stated that Wednesday’s incident was the “largest concentration of violations of NATO airspace” but not an isolated event with similar situations having occurred in Romania, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.