The statement draws a clear line: In the future, NATO could not only shoot down drones but also Russian fighter jets if they are classified as a threat to alliance territory. This announcement marks a massive escalation of the conflict and increases the risk of a direct military confrontation between NATO and Russia.
The seriousness of the situation is also reflected in the fact that Estonia has convened an extraordinary session of the alliance. The reason was the incident on Friday when three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets entered Estonian airspace over the Baltic Sea for about twelve minutes. Estonia then requested consultations under Article 4 of the NATO Treaty, which provides for the Allies to convene as soon as a member sees its territorial integrity, political independence, or security threatened. This was already the second consultation under Article 4 this month. Poland had previously requested talks on September 10 due to a Russian drone operation. Similar consultations took place in 2022 after the Russian assault on Ukraine and in 2020 after the death of Turkish soldiers in Syria.
In direct response to the airspace violations over Poland, NATO launched an intensified mission to monitor and defend its eastern flank on September 12. Germany is participating with four Eurofighters, which are carrying out armed protection flights over Poland. On Monday, there were also drone sightings at Copenhagen Airport, although these were not explicitly mentioned in the NATO statement. If these sightings can be traced back to Russia, this could further escalate tensions. The incident has already caused significant economic disruption: around 100 flights were cancelled, and further delays are expected.
Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen (47) spoke of a "serious attack on Danish critical infrastructure," but did not name any possible culprits.