NATO airspace incursions by Russia condemned by G7 leaders
Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) countries have condemned Russia's recent incursions into the airspace of European NATO nations, DW reports.
"We have expressed concern about Russia's recent incursions into the airspace of Estonia, Poland and Romania, which are unacceptable and pose a threat to international security," the joint statement said.
The ministers met in New York, where the 80th session of the UN General Assembly was being held.
Representatives of the world's major developed economies reaffirmed their commitment to "a strong, independent, sovereign and prosperous Ukraine", and said they would continue to coordinate with the US on measures to provide Kyiv with reliable and compelling security guarantees.
The meeting also saw discussions on imposing further economic sanctions on the Russian Federation, including action against third countries aiding the Kremlin.
"We welcome the ongoing discussions among the G7 finance ministers on the further use of Russian sovereign assets to support Ukraine," the informal club of states emphasized.
Earlier, NATO had pledged to use "all necessary military and non-military means in accordance with international law for self-defence and the deterrence of all threats from all directions." The alliance indicated that to prevent any threat on its territory, not only drones but also Russian aircraft could be shot down.
NATO will provide a "strong response" to the Russian Federation's attacks, promised the Commander of NATO's Joint Armed Forces in Europe, US Air Force Lieutenant General Alexus Grinkevich. He emphasized that the allies "will not abandon their long-term commitments to support Ukraine due to these and other irresponsible actions by Russia."
The recent incursions by the Russian Federation into NATO airspace are part of "a broader picture of Russia's increasingly irresponsible behaviour," the alliance stated, and called on Moscow to cease such actions.
Russian Planes and Drones over Estonia and Poland
On the night of September 10, at least 19 Russian drones crossed the Polish border, a significant number of which came from the territory of Belarus. In addition to the Polish Air Force, fighter jets from other NATO states were involved in intercepting the drones.
On September 13, the Polish Air Force and allied aircraft were scrambled in response to the threat of Russian drones to regions of Ukraine that border Poland. On the same day, fighter jets were scrambled in Romania, as a Russian Federation drone violated the country's airspace during an attack on Ukraine.
On September 19, the Polish Border Guard stated that two Russian fighter jets at low altitude approached a Polish drilling platform in the Baltic Sea, violating the security zone.
Also on September 19, three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets with their transponders turned off entered Estonian airspace without permission and remained there for 12 minutes, Tallinn reported. The Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Russia's Chargé d'affaires in Estonia and handed him a protest note. The Russian Ministry of Defence claims that the country's airspace was not violated, and the flight path passed "over the neutral waters of the Baltic Sea."
Translation by Iurie Tataru
