Poland’s Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, has declared that Russian fighter jets will be shot down if they breach Polish territory. Tusk emphasized that any violation of airspace will result in immediate action without room for negotiation. This announcement comes after a series of incidents involving Russian drones and warplanes entering the airspace of Poland, Romania, and Estonia. Last Friday, three Russian MiG-31 jets lingered in Estonian airspace for nearly 12 minutes before NATO forces intervened.
Vladimir Putin’s decision to send fighter jets into a NATO member’s airspace has been viewed as a significant escalation. The unauthorized entry of the MIG-31 jets into the prohibited area without permission from the NATO member raised tensions. Reports indicated that the Russian aircraft flew over the Vaindloo Island area and remained in Estonian airspace for 12 minutes, lacking communication with local air traffic controllers and with their transponders turned off.
Estonian officials condemned Russia’s violation of their airspace as “unprecedentedly brutal,” prompting discussions within NATO. Prime Minister Tusk stressed the importance of unified responses from NATO allies in the event of escalating conflicts to ensure Poland is not isolated.
Following the airspace violation in Estonia, the country’s Prime Minister, Kristen Michal, considered invoking NATO’s Article 4 for discussions among allies regarding territorial security threats. Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna summoned Russian diplomats in response to the escalation, highlighting the need for swift political and economic measures to counter Russia’s border testing and increasing aggression.