NATO will ‘not hesitate’ to act if Russian threats continue, says Estonian defense minister
An alliance declaration about increased air defenses for Eastern Europe is expected on Tuesday.
This report has been updated.
TALLINN, Estonia—NATO will issue a joint declaration soon on continuing Russian air incursions, Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said Monday, and Estonia hopes it will expand air patrols and other defense measures under the alliance's new Eastern Sentry effort.
Pevkur spoke three days after a trio of MiG-31 fighters entered Estonian airspace and were escorted out by NATO jets. He called the event a dramatic and dangerous escalation that was “totally different” from three drone incursions earlier this year. After the incursion, Estonia requested an Article 4 consultation among NATO allies.
On Monday, Pevkur said his country, backed by its allies, was prepared to shoot down Russian planes over its territory if necessary.
“If there is a need, we do not hesitate, and this is the common understanding and the outcome of the [Article 4] consultations,” he said.
A Monday statement from the Estonian Foreign Ministry, coinciding with a special U.N. General Assembly session on Russia’s behavior, said the Russian jets remained in NATO skies for 12 minutes, flying deep into Estonian airspace and covering nearly 100 kilometers inside Estonian sovereign territory, “moments away from Tallinn, a NATO and EU capital.” The incident marked the fourth Russian invasion of Estonian airspace this year, according to the statement.
Pevkur said NATO decided to escort the jets out of Estonian airspace rather than shoot them down after officials “analyzed what kind of weapon systems they had."
The incident occurred about a week after Polish forces downed several Russian drones over its territory. Another Russian drone was spotted in Romanian airspace.
Alarmed by these violations, leaders of allied states have escalated their own rhetoric. On Satuday, Czech President Petr Pavel said the allies' reactions to such events must include a “military response."
"Russia will very quickly realize that it has made a mistake and has crossed acceptable boundaries,” Pavel said.
Speaking before the U.N. General Assembly on Monday, Polish Deputy Prime Minister Radosław Sikorski echoed the warning: “To the Russian government: If another missile or aircraft finds itself without permission in our airspace, deliberately or by accident, and its wreckage falls on NATO territory, please don’t come here later to complain. We warned you.”
Pevkur said Tuesday's announcement will concern adding elements to the Eastern Sentry mission to counter manned aircraft, not just drones.
“Different capabilities inside the Eastern Sentry will be increased. But definitely this process is at the moment in the planning phase,” he said. “The point is that [Europe’s] eastern flank has to have better capabilities for detection and for interception.”
NATO officials declined to say what additional elements that might include. U.S. Army Col. Martin O'Donnell, spokesman for NATO's Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, said, “It would be inappropriate to speculate on the outcome” of the Article 4 discussions before the talks have occurred, and said a NATO update will come after.
“As far as Eastern Sentry goes, it already takes an expansive approach, one that has shown it can defend NATO. In terms of the deployment of any additional assets, that would be for nations to announce,” O'Donnell said.
Following the Article 4 consultations on Tuesday, NATO released a statement reading, "We will reinforce our capabilities and strengthen our deterrence and defense posture, including through effective air defense."