NATO Called On To Respond to Russian Drones

Repeated incursions into NATO airspace by Russian combat drones require a "collective answer" from the alliance, members of its eastern flank have said.

The joint statement by the Bucharest 9 bloc follows growing worries about Russian drones and missiles landing in NATO territory during the war started by Vladimir Putin.

Independent Russian outlet Verstka reported last week that debris from missiles and drones had landed in countries neighboring the conflict 34 times, on 20 occasions in NATO members.

Romanian territory has been affected 13 times, often close to Ukrainian Danube River ports that are frequent Russian targets.

There were three incidents in Bulgaria, two in Poland and one each in Latvia and Croatia. Most of the devices were Russian, although some were fired by Ukraine, Verstka said. The other countries affected were Russia's ally Belarus and non-NATO member, Moldova.

"We express our profound concern over the repeated incursions of NATO airspace…by the Russian Federation's drones and missiles, and the escalations of tensions along NATO's borders," said the Bucharest 9 defense ministers in the statement on Wednesday.

The bloc met in the Romanian capital on Wednesday and includes the countries where drones have landed as well as the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania and the Slovak Republic.

"This is a new reality that cannot be left disregarded," the statement added. "We need a collective answer within NATO to challenges posed by modern weapons and technologies."

Polish deputy defense minister Pawel Zalewski said that when NATO defense ministers meet in October, destroying drones entering the alliance's air space will be a focus as he accused Moscow of "hybrid attacks."

Roger Hilton, defense research fellow at the Slovakia-based think tank GLOBSEC, said that while there have been proposals for NATO members to shoot down Russian projectiles, a firm alliance-wide policy has not materialized and there are questions over what it would want to accomplish with such a strategy.

"Allies can neutralize drones using electronic warfare or kinetic systems but must assess if doing so might be a catalyst that sparks a new round of escalation that brings the alliance into closer confrontation with the Kremlin," he told Newsweek.

NATO's Article 5 stipulates that an attack on one member is considered an attack on all, although so far there are no direct accusations that Russia was deliberately targeting NATO nations.

"Without any precedent or trending policy guidance on a far more consequential policy, I expect national capitals will raise their displeasure but fall short of any direct action against the drones," Hilton said.

In less than two weeks Mark Rutte will take over as NATO's new secretary-general, which makes any clear decisions before he is installed highly unlikely, said Hilton.

"[These would] handcuff him to decisions before he takes over and have the potential to derail his future vision and policy ideas," he said.

The Bucharest 9 called for the strengthening of NATO's overall Integrated Air and Missile Defence, increasing European air and missile defense capabilities and beefing up NATO's eastern flank.

"We reiterate the need for Russia's full compliance with international law, including the inviolability of NATO airspace," the statement added.

Newsweek has contacted NATO and the Russian defense ministry for comment.

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