BRUSSELS: NATO will hold its major annual nuclear exercise next week, the alliance&rsquo;s chief announced Friday, with an important part of the drill to focus on protecting the weapons before they&#39;re ever used. The long-planned &ldquo;Steadfast Noon&rdquo; exercise, which starts on Monday, is taking place amid heightened security around military facilities in Europe due to a series of mysterious drone incidents, some of them blamed on Russia. Steadfast Noon will run for about two weeks. It will be led by the Netherlands and involve 71 aircraft from 14 NATO countries. The exercise has been held at roughly the same time each year for over a decade. &ldquo;We need to do this because it helps us to make sure that our nuclear deterrent remains as credible, and as safe, and as secure, and as effective as possible,&quot; NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said in a video statement. &quot;It also sends a clear signal to any potential adversary that we will and can protect and defend all allies against all threats,&rdquo; he said. Bomber aircraft and fighter jets that can carry nuclear warheads are taking part, but no nuclear weapons or live munitions will be used. The bulk of the exercise is being held in the North Sea, far from Russia and Ukraine. It will involve military bases in Belgium, Britain, Denmark, and the Netherlands. The United States and Britain, with their nuclear forces, are key to NATO&rsquo;s strategic deterrence. France also has nuclear weapons, but is not a part of the organization&rsquo;s nuclear planning group. NATO officials would not say what kind of scenarios would be used to test the 32-nation alliance&#39;s nuclear readiness, but they insisted that it is not directed toward any particular country, nor does it relate to current international events. The United States is providing F-35 jets capable of carrying conventional or nuclear weapons, refueling planes, and other support aircraft. Finland and Poland are sending fighter jets. Electronic warfare equipment and reconnaissance and intelligence systems will also be used. A big part of the exercise will focus on protecting nuclear weapons on the ground, said Col. Daniel Bunch, Chief of NATO Nuclear Operations at the alliance&rsquo;s military headquarters in Mons, Belgium. Bunch said there are &ldquo;a variety of different threats that we assess and that we must defend against because these are highly protected assets that require the utmost security and safety.&rdquo; Asked whether drones are a particular concern given the recent incidents, notably near military facilities in Belgium and Denmark, he said: &ldquo;Drones are not a new threat to us. Drones are something we understand.&rdquo; &ldquo;The more frequent incursions are something we&rsquo;re obviously keeping an eye on,&rdquo; Bunch acknowledged, but he added: &ldquo;Ultimately, we&rsquo;re going to stay one step ahead of the adversary.&rdquo; The Washington Summit declaration agreed by the alliance&rsquo;s leaders last year states that &ldquo;the fundamental purpose of NATO&rsquo;s nuclear capability is to preserve peace, prevent coercion and deter aggression.&rdquo; &ldquo;As long as nuclear weapons exist, NATO will remain a nuclear alliance,&rdquo; it said. James Stokes, the head of NATO&rsquo;s Nuclear Policy Directorate, told reporters that despite the Kremlin&rsquo;s continued and heated rhetoric, the allies &ldquo;haven&rsquo;t seen any change in Russia&rsquo;s nuclear posture&rdquo; recently. He underlined that Russia is not a focus of the exercise, but said that NATO continues to monitor Russian military activities, including its use of dual-capable missiles in Ukraine, which could be fitted to carry nuclear warheads.

Europe

NATO will launch its annual nuclear exercise next week, involving 14 nations and 71 aircraft. The drill will focus on nuclear security, with no live weapons used, amid increased drone-related security concerns.

NATO Plans annual nuclear drill as security tightens in Europe

HELSINKI: Finland will not be intimidated by attempts to destabilise it and the rest of Europe with drones and other so-called &quot;hybrid&quot; attacks, its defence minister told AFP on Tuesday. The Nordic country shares a 1,340-kilometre border with Russia, which has been blamed for a series of drone incursions and airspace violations over European countries, claims Moscow has rejected.&nbsp;Unidentified drone sightings in Finland&#39;s neighbour Norway and Denmark since September 22, including at military sites, have prompted the closure of several airports and raised concerns about Europe&#39;s security and preparedness.&nbsp;European officials have called the drone flights hybrid attacks, referring to a form of unconventional warfare.&nbsp;Helsinki is &quot;taking a very calm approach&quot; as speculation mounts about what could come next, Defence Minister Antti Hakkanen told AFP.&nbsp;&quot;No drones can rattle us. They are intended to cause confusion, fear and social unrest,&quot; Hakkanen said.&nbsp;He stressed there was &quot;no direct evidence&quot; yet that Russia was responsible for the drone sightings, but said that &quot;Russia is doing all kinds of other hybrid influencing.&quot;&nbsp;&quot;We are prepared for the fact that Russia has a certain desire to disrupt the West with such drones,&quot; Hakkanen said.&nbsp;NATO has &quot;enhanced vigilance&quot; in the Baltic following the intrusions, and the EU has announced plans for a &quot;drone wall.&quot;&nbsp;&quot;We are actively working with NATO&#39;s Eastern Sentry defence operation and the EU&#39;s drone wall initiative to determine how Finland&#39;s section of the NATO-Russia and EU-Russia borders will be secured against drones,&quot; Hakkanen said.&nbsp;Swedish Defence Minister Pal Jonson, who met with his Finnish counterpart in Helsinki on Tuesday, meanwhile told AFP Europe&#39;s tense security situation was &quot;serious.&quot;&nbsp;&quot;We are seeing a pattern where Russia is taking greater political and military risks,&quot; he told AFP.&nbsp;Finland and Sweden both joined NATO after Russia&#39;s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.&nbsp;Finland shut its eastern border with Russia in mid-December 2023 after the arrival of around 1,000 migrants without visas.&nbsp;Helsinki has claimed the surge was orchestrated by Russia as a form of hybrid warfare,a charge the Kremlin has denied.&nbsp;Both Finland and Sweden have beefed up their military investments and preparedness since joining NATO.

Finland’s defence minister said drones will not scare the country, calling them attempts to spread fear and unrest. Finland is working with NATO and the EU to secure borders amid suspicions of Russian hybrid attacks.

Finland vows calm amid rising drone threats 

UNITED NATIONS: Russia gets the microphone at the UN world leaders&#39; meeting on Saturday, three years into an invasion of Ukraine that the international community has broadly deplored, and a that powerful member newly says Ukraine can repel.&nbsp;Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is due to give his country&#39;s address at the General Assembly, four days after US President Donald Trump said he believed Ukraine can win back all the territory it has lost to Russia.&nbsp;It was a notable tone shift from a US leader who had previously suggested Ukraine would need to make some concessions and could never reclaim all the areas Russia has occupied since seizing the Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and launching a full-scale invasion in 2022.&nbsp;Just three weeks earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin said his country and the US had a &ldquo;mutual understanding&rdquo; and that Trump&#39;s administration &quot;is listening to us.&rdquo;&nbsp;Trump&#39;s new view came after he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of General Assembly Tuesday, seven months after a televised blow-up between the two in the Oval Office. This time, the doors were closed, and the tenor was evidently different &quot;a good meeting,&rdquo; as Zelenskyy described it in his assembly speech the next day.&nbsp;For the fourth year in a row, Zelenskyy appealed to the gathering of presidents, prime ministers and other top officials to get Russia out of his country and warned that inaction would put other countries at risk.&nbsp;&ldquo;Ukraine is only the first,&quot; he said.&nbsp;Unauthorized flights into NATO&rsquo;s airspace intrusions blamed on Russia, have raised alarm around Europe in recent weeks, particularly after NATO jets downed drones over Poland and Estonia said Russian fighter jets flew into its territory and lingered for 12 minutes. Russia denied that its planes entered Estonian airspace and said the drones didn&#39;t target Poland, with Moscow&#39;s ally Belarus maintaining that Ukrainian signal-jamming sent the devices off-course.&nbsp;But European leaders see the incidents as intentional, provocative moves meant to rattle NATO and to suss how the alliance will respond.&nbsp;Russia has offered various explanations for the Ukraine war, among them assuring its own security after NATO expanded eastward over the years.&nbsp;Lavrov&#39;s address to the General Assembly last year was a bitter swipe at the West, whetted with a reference to &ldquo;the senselessness and the danger of the very idea of trying to fight to victory with a nuclear power, which is what Russia is.&rdquo;

At the UN, Russia’s Sergey Lavrov speaks amid war tensions. Trump shifted tone, saying Ukraine can reclaim lost land, after meeting Zelenskyy. NATO accused Russia of provocative airspace violations, while Zelenskyy urged global action against Moscow.

Russia addresses world leaders at UN three years into Ukraine invasion

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: The United States on Thursday announced the approval of a $1.23 billion sale of up to 400 advanced air-to-air missiles and related equipment to NATO ally Germany, AFP reported. &ldquo;The proposed sale will improve Germany&#39;s capability to meet current and future threats by providing increased air-to-air capability for the German F-35 program and supporting German and shared NATO planning, training, and operational requirements,&quot; the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in a statement. The US State Department has approved the potential sale of AIM-120D-3 advanced medium range air-to-air missiles to Germany for an estimated $1.23 billion, the Pentagon said in a statement on Thursday, according to Reuters. The principal contractor for the sale is RTX Corp, the Pentagon said. Security of a NATO ally&nbsp;It will also &quot;support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a NATO ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in Europe,&quot; DSCA said, according to AFP. The State Department approved the possible sale of the missiles to Germany and DSCA provided the required notification to the US Congress, which still needs to sign off on the transaction. The US announcement came after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz vowed to take &quot;all necessary measures to ensure effective deterrence against... violations of airspace and other attacks by the Russian military.&quot; Airspace violations&nbsp;Recent weeks have seen Russia send fighter jets and drones into the airspace of NATO members Poland and Romania, followed by suspicious drone flights near airports in Denmark and Norway. Merz&#39;s government has also blamed Moscow for multiple drone sightings over German military and industrial sites.

Americas

The US approved a $1.23 billion sale of 400 advanced air-to-air missiles to Germany, enhancing its F-35 program and NATO defense. The deal supports US foreign policy amid rising Russian threats.

US approves $1.2 billion missile sale to Germany

BRUSSELS: NATO warned Russia on Tuesday that it would use all means to defend against any further breaches of its airspace after the downing earlier this month of Russian drones over Poland and Estonia&#39;s report of an intrusion of Russian fighter jets last week. The Sept. 10 incident in Poland was the first direct encounter between NATO and Moscow since the war in Ukraine began. It jolted leaders across Europe, raising questions about how prepared the alliance is against growing Russian aggression. Estonia&rsquo;s said three Russian fighter jets entered its airspace for 12 minutes on Friday without authorization, a charge that Russia has rejected. &ldquo;Russia should be in no doubt: NATO and Allies will employ, in accordance with international law, all necessary military and non-military tools to defend ourselves and deter all threats from all directions,&rdquo; the alliance said in a statement. &ldquo;We will continue to respond in the manner, timing, and domain of our choosing,&rdquo; the 32-member NATO said, and underlined its commitment to Article 5 of its founding treaty that an attack on any one ally must be considered an attack on them all. The allies provided no details about what measures they might take. The statement came after Estonia requested formal consultations under Article 4 of NATO&rsquo;s treaty that requires a meeting whenever one of the alliance members believes its territorial integrity, political independence or security is threatened. On Monday, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that Poland would &ldquo;without discussion&rdquo; shoot down flying objects when they violate Polish territory. It&rsquo;s not entirely clear whether other allies endorse that approach.

NATO warns Russia after drone downing in Poland, jet intrusion in Estonia; vows to defend allies using all means necessary

NATO warns Russia it will use all means to defend against airspace breaches after Estonia incursions

ISLAMABAD: The UN Security Council (UNSC) will hold an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss Russian incursions over Estonia&rsquo;s airspace, the Estonian foreign office said on Sunday.&nbsp;&ldquo;When such actions are committed by a permanent member of the Security Council, they must be addressed by that very body,&rdquo; Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said in a post on X. <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1969726369551487284&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=e1cdf18bfdc40aedf10f9fea8ac23ab6f14cf456&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 856px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>&nbsp;He added that Russia&rsquo;s actions &ldquo;undermine principles vital to the security of all UN member states.&rdquo; St&eacute;phane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN secretary general, said the emergency meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. E.T. on Monday.&nbsp;Estonia&rsquo;s request for a UNSC meeting comes after three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets entered its airspace over the Gulf of Finland without permission on Friday. The jets remained for 12 minutes before being intercepted by NATO, according to the Estonian Foreign Ministry.&nbsp;The Russian Defense Ministry, however, has denied its jets entered Estonian airspace. It insisted that the flights were conducted &ldquo;in strict accordance with international rules.&rdquo;&nbsp;Ukraine has also submitted a request to attend the Security Council meeting and present its position. The request was directed to the Republic of Korea, which holds the rotating presidency of the council.&nbsp;&ldquo;For the first time in 34 years, Estonia has requested an emergency UNSC meeting,&rdquo; Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote on X. &ldquo;This shows the unprecedented scale of threats posed by aggressive Russia to the stability of Europe.&rdquo; <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1969761477755064326&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=e1cdf18bfdc40aedf10f9fea8ac23ab6f14cf456&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden; width: 0px; height: 0px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">For the first time in 34 years, Estonia has requested an emergency UNSC meeting. This shows the unprecedented scale of threats posed by aggressive Russia to the stability of Europe. Ukraine addressed the ROK&rsquo;s Presidency with a request to attend the meeting and present our&hellip; <a href="https://t.co/C4LK1CxgK5" style="color: rgb(0, 115, 230);">https://t.co/C4LK1CxgK5</a>&mdash; Andrii Sybiha 🇺🇦 (@andrii_sybiha) <a href="https://twitter.com/andrii_sybiha/status/1969761477755064326?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" style="color: rgb(0, 115, 230);">September 21, 2025</a></blockquote></div>&nbsp;Meanwhile, NATO&#39;s North Atlantic Council has also called a meeting for Tuesday to discuss Russia&#39;s violation of&nbsp;Estonian airspace, two officials familiar with the matter told Reuters on Sunday, specifying the date that so far has only been described as early next week, Reuters reported.&nbsp;Tallinn said three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets entered&nbsp;Estonian airspace without permission on Friday and stayed for a total of 12 minutes before they were forced to withdraw.&nbsp;Estonia requested consultations under Article 4 of the Washington Treaty after the incident that it described as an &quot;unprecedentedly brazen&quot; incursion.&nbsp;Article 4 states that NATO members will consult together whenever, in the opinion of any of them, the territory, political independence or security of any of them is threatened.&nbsp;Russia&#39;s Defence Ministry denied its jets violated&nbsp;Estonian airspace, saying they flew over neutral waters.&nbsp;With tensions already high because of the war in Ukraine, the incursion came just over a week after more than 20 Russian drones entered Polish airspace on the night of September 9-10. With input from wires. &nbsp;

German Eurofighter, NATO, Russia Ukraine war

NATO’s North Atlantic Council also calls a meeting for Tuesday to discuss Russia’s violation of Estonian airspace, according to Reuters.

UNSC to hold emergency meeting on Russian jet incursions over Estonia

Estonia summoned a Russian diplomat to protest after three Russian fighter aircraft entered its airspace without permission Friday and stayed there for 12 minutes, the Foreign Ministry said, just over a week after NATO planes downed Russian drones over Poland and heightened fears that the war in Ukraine could spill over. Foreign Minister Margus Tsakhna said that Russia violated Estonian airspace four times this year &ldquo;but today&rsquo;s incursion, involving three fighter aircraft entering our airspace, is unprecedentedly brazen.&rdquo; Russian officials did not immediately comment. Russia&rsquo;s violation of Poland&rsquo;s airspace was the most serious cross-border incident into a NATO member country since the war in Ukraine began with Russia&rsquo;s all-out invasion in February 2022. Other alliance countries have reported similar incursions and drone crashes on their territory. The developments have increasingly rattled European governments as U.S.-led efforts to stop the war in Ukraine have come to nothing. Italian F-35 fighter jets respond to Russian incursion The Russian MIG-31 fighters entered Estonian airspace in the area of Vaindloo Island, which is a small island located in the Gulf of Finland in the Baltic Sea, the Estonian military said in a separate statement. The aircraft did not have flight plans and their transponders were turned off, the statement said, nor were the aircraft in two-way radio communication with Estonian air traffic services. Italian Air Force F-35 fighter jets, currently deployed as part of the NATO Baltic Air Policing Mission, responded to the incident, according to the statement. &ldquo;Russia&rsquo;s increasingly extensive testing of boundaries and growing aggressiveness must be met with a swift increase in political and economic pressure,&rdquo; Tsakhna, the foreign minister, said. The Russian charge d&rsquo;affaires was summoned and given a protest note, a ministry statement said.

Three Russian jets entered Estonian airspace, sparking NATO response. Tallinn calls incursion “brazen” amid rising fears of Ukraine war spillover.

Estonia: 3 Russian fighter jets entered its airspace in 'brazen' incursion

ISLAMABAD: Russia has conducted large-scale military exercises with Belarus, showcasing nuclear-capable bombers, hypersonic missiles, and thousands of troops, while NATO countries have ramped up defenses across Eastern Europe in response.&nbsp;The joint exercises, dubbed Zapad 2025, began earlier in September and concluded Tuesday. According to Belarus&#39; deputy defense minister, the drills included rehearsals for potential tactical nuclear weapon use and preparations to deploy Russia&rsquo;s new Oreshnik missile, the Associated Press reported.&nbsp;Russian state media claims the Oreshnik missile can carry multiple warheads and reach NATO targets within minutes.&nbsp;NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte slammed the exercises as &ldquo;reckless.&rdquo; Speaking in Brussels, he warned that Russia&#39;s increasing use of drones and missiles means &ldquo;no part of Europe is safe.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s agree that within this alliance of 32 countries, we all live on the eastern flank,&rdquo; Rutte said.&nbsp;Airspace violations heighten tensions&nbsp;The drills took place just days after around 20 Russian drones entered Polish airspace on September 10, according to AP. While Moscow denied that the drones were aimed at Poland, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called it a &ldquo;provocation&rdquo; and warned that Europe is now &ldquo;closer to open conflict than at any time since World War II.&rdquo;&nbsp;NATO later confirmed that Russian drones also violated the airspace of Romania, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.&nbsp;New nuclear doctrine and weapons deploymentThe timing of Zapad 2025 also coincides with the anniversary of Russia&#39;s revised nuclear doctrine. In 2024, President Vladimir Putin updated the policy to state that any conventional attack on Russia backed by a nuclear power would be treated as a joint nuclear threat.&nbsp;Since Belarus falls under this security umbrella, Moscow reportedly intends to deploy Oreshnik missiles there later this year.&nbsp;Russia&rsquo;s Defense Ministry also released footage of strategic bombers and naval units launching nuclear-capable missiles as part of the drills. Analysts told AP that placing such weapons in Belarus revives Cold War-era dynamics, when Soviet missiles were aimed at Europe from Belarusian territory.&nbsp;Fighting continues in UkraineWhile Russia displays its military strength, the conflict in Ukraine continues unabated. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Telegram that Russian rockets struck the southern city of Zaporizhzhia overnight, injuring 20 people, including four children.&nbsp;Zelenskyy also reported:<ul><li>A civilian logistics center near Kyiv was hit</li><li>Drones targeted Kharkiv, injuring four people at the National Pharmaceutical University</li></ul>&nbsp;He renewed his call for enhanced European air defenses:&nbsp;&ldquo;Now is the time to implement the joint protection of our European skies with a multilayered air defense system,&rdquo; Zelenskyy wrote.&nbsp;According to AP, Zelenskyy said Russia has fired over 3,500 drones,&nbsp;2,500 glide bombs&nbsp;and nearly 200 missiles&nbsp;just in the past two weeks. Glide bombs, dropped from high altitudes, have been particularly devastating as Ukraine lacks effective countermeasures.&nbsp;In retaliation, Ukraine has launched drone strikes inside Russia. On Tuesday, Ukraine&rsquo;s General Staff reported an attack on an oil refinery in Saratov, causing explosions and a fire. Repeated strikes on fuel infrastructure have reportedly contributed to gasoline shortages in Russia.&nbsp;NATO expands focus to the Arctic&nbsp;While Ukraine remains the central battleground, NATO is also extending its defensive posture northward.&nbsp;In Greenland, Denmark is leading Arctic Light 2025, a multinational drill involving over 550 troops from Denmark, France, Germany, Sweden, and Norway, AP reported.&nbsp;The training, which began on September 9 and runs through Friday, includes:&nbsp;<ul><li>Ship-boarding exercises</li><li>Helicopter landings</li><li>Live-fire drills</li></ul>&nbsp;Danish F-16 fighter jets and naval frigates are participating, with observers from the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada present.&nbsp;Maj. Gen. S&oslash;ren Andersen, head of Denmark&rsquo;s Joint Arctic Command, emphasized that the goal is to build readiness and develop coordinated responses to threats in the Arctic and North Atlantic.&nbsp;&ldquo;Russia has been building up in the Arctic for the last 20 years. It&rsquo;s fair to say they are a regional superpower there,&rdquo; Andersen said.&nbsp;Earlier this year, Denmark also announced plans to increase its permanent military presence around Greenland and the Faroe Islands, including:&nbsp;<ul><li>New naval vessels</li><li>Long-range drones</li><li>Expanded satellite surveillance capacity</li><li>A Broader Security Shift</li></ul>&nbsp;The combination of nuclear drills in Belarus, ongoing attacks in Ukraine, and NATO maneuvers in the Arctic illustrates how the war is reshaping European and transatlantic security far beyond the front lines.&nbsp;Now entering its fourth year, the war has created flashpoints from Zaporizhzhia to the Arctic Circle, with no clear path to a diplomatic resolution in sight.

Russia's nuclear-capable drills with Belarus prompt NATO to bolster defenses across Europe and the Arctic amid escalating regional tensions.

Russia flaunts nuclear drills as NATO braces from Ukraine to Arctic

Reuters

<div style="font-size: medium; line-height: 24px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; text-transform: none; font-family: knowledge-regular, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 400; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); max-width: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal;" id="isPasted">WARSAW, Sept 10: Poland shot down drones in its airspace on Wednesday with the backing of military aircraft from its NATO allies, the first time a member of the Western military alliance is known to have fired shots during Russia&#39;s war in Ukraine.</div><div style="font-size: medium; line-height: 24px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; text-transform: none; font-family: knowledge-regular, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 400; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); max-width: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal;">Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk told parliament it was &quot;the closest we have been to open conflict since World War Two&quot;, although he also said he had &quot;no reason to believe we&#39;re on the brink of war&quot;.</div><div style="font-size: medium; line-height: 24px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; text-transform: none; font-family: knowledge-regular, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 400; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); max-width: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal;" id="isPasted">Moscow denied responsibility for the incident, with a senior diplomat in Poland saying the drones had come from the direction of Ukraine.</div><div style="font-size: medium; line-height: 24px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; text-transform: none; font-family: knowledge-regular, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 400; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); max-width: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal;">European leaders, who have lately been trying to persuade U.S. President Donald Trump to join them in tightening sanctions on Russia and boosting support for Kyiv, said it justified a collective response. There was no immediate response from Washington.</div><div style="font-size: medium; line-height: 24px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; text-transform: none; font-family: knowledge-regular, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 400; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); max-width: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal;">Poland said 19 objects had entered its airspace during a large Russian air attack on Ukraine, and that it had shot down those that posed a threat. Tusk called the incident a &quot;large-scale provocation&quot; and said he had activated Article Four of NATO&#39;s treaty, under which alliance members can demand consultations with their allies.</div><div style="font-size: medium; line-height: 24px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; text-transform: none; font-family: knowledge-regular, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 400; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); max-width: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal;" id="isPasted">A NATO spokesperson said NATO chief Mark Rutte was in touch with Polish leadership and the alliance was consulting closely with Poland.</div><div style="font-size: medium; line-height: 24px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; text-transform: none; font-family: knowledge-regular, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 400; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); max-width: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal;">A source said NATO was not treating the incident as an attack but as an intentional incursion. Polish F-16 fighter jets, Dutch F-35s, Italian AWACS surveillance planes and mid-air refueling aircraft jointly operated by NATO were involved in the overnight operation, according to the source.</div><div style="font-size: medium; line-height: 24px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; text-transform: none; font-family: knowledge-regular, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 400; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); max-width: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal;">Andrey Ordash, Russia&#39;s charge d&#39;affaires in Poland, was cited by RIA state news agency as calling accusations of an incursion &quot;groundless&quot; and said Poland had not given any evidence that the drones shot down were of Russian origin.</div><div style="font-size: medium; line-height: 24px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; text-transform: none; font-family: knowledge-regular, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 400; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); max-width: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal;">The Kremlin declined comment to comment directly on the downing of the drones but spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said:</div><div style="font-size: medium; line-height: 24px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; text-transform: none; font-family: knowledge-regular, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 400; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); max-width: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal;">&quot;The leadership of the EU and NATO accuse Russia of provocations on a daily basis. Most of the time, without even trying to present at least some kind of argument.&quot;</div><div style="font-size: medium; line-height: 24px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; text-transform: none; font-family: knowledge-regular, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 400; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); max-width: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal;">During the incident, the Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces urged residents to stay at home, with three eastern regions at particular risk.</div><div style="font-size: medium; line-height: 24px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; text-transform: none; font-family: knowledge-regular, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 400; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); max-width: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal;">Several Polish airports were temporarily closed, including one that has been used as the main access point for Western officials and supplies travelling to Ukraine over land.</div><div style="font-size: medium; line-height: 24px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; text-transform: none; font-family: knowledge-regular, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 400; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); max-width: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal;">NATO&#39;s Rutte said that a full assessment of the incident had not yet been made but added that, &quot;whether it was intentionally or not, it is absolutely reckless, it is absolutely dangerous.&quot;</div><div style="font-size: medium; line-height: 24px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; text-transform: none; font-family: knowledge-regular, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 400; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); max-width: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal;" id="isPasted">Countries bordering Ukraine have reported occasional Russian missiles or drones entering their airspace in the past during the war, but not on such a large scale, and they are not known to have shot them down. Two people were killed in Poland in 2022 by a Ukrainian air defence missile that went astray.</div><div style="font-size: medium; line-height: 24px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; text-transform: none; font-family: knowledge-regular, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 400; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); max-width: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal;">Reuters footage showed a blackened spot in a brown field in southeastern Poland where drones fell.</div><div style="font-size: medium; line-height: 24px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; text-transform: none; font-family: knowledge-regular, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 400; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); max-width: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal;">Since NATO&rsquo;s creation in 1949, Article 4 has been invoked seven times, most recently in Feb. 2022 following Russia&#39;s invasion of Ukraine.</div><h2 style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 26px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 24px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; text-transform: none; font-family: knowledge-medium, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 500; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); display: block; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal;">&#39;INTENTIONAL&#39; </h2><div style="font-size: medium; line-height: 24px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; text-transform: none; font-family: knowledge-regular, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 400; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); max-width: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal;" id="isPasted">&quot;Russia&#39;s war is escalating, not ending. We must raise the cost on Moscow, strengthen support for Ukraine, and invest in Europe&#39;s defence,&quot; the EU&#39;s top diplomat Kaja Kallas said.</div><div style="font-size: medium; line-height: 24px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; text-transform: none; font-family: knowledge-regular, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 400; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); max-width: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal;">Early indications suggested the entry of Russian drones into European airspace was intentional, not accidental, she added in her post on X.</div><div style="font-size: medium; line-height: 24px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; text-transform: none; font-family: knowledge-regular, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 400; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); max-width: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal;">Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russia used 415 drones and 40 missiles in attacks on Ukraine overnight, adding that at least eight Iranian-made shahed drones had been aimed towards Poland.</div><div style="font-size: medium; line-height: 24px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; text-transform: none; font-family: knowledge-regular, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 400; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); max-width: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal;">&quot;An extremely dangerous precedent for Europe,&quot; he said. &quot;A strong response is needed &ndash; and it can only be a joint response by all partners: Ukraine, Poland, all Europeans, the United States.&quot;</div><div style="font-size: medium; line-height: 24px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; text-transform: none; font-family: knowledge-regular, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 400; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); max-width: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal;">Russia has long said it has no intention of stoking a war with NATO and that Western European countries suggesting it is a threat were trying to worsen relations.</div><div style="font-size: medium; line-height: 24px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; text-transform: none; font-family: knowledge-regular, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 400; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); max-width: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal;">European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called for more sanctions on Russia, and said the EU was preparing sanctions on &#39;shadow fleet&#39; tankers that transport its oil and third countries that buy it.</div><div style="font-size: medium; line-height: 24px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; text-transform: none; font-family: knowledge-regular, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 400; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); max-width: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal;">Trump, who warmly welcomed Putin in Alaska at a summit in August, said over the weekend he was ready to move to a second phase of sanctioning Russia after months of talks about a peace deal.</div><div style="font-size: medium; line-height: 24px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; text-transform: none; font-family: knowledge-regular, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 400; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); max-width: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal;">It was his strongest indication yet that he may escalate pressure on Moscow or its oil buyers in response to Russia&#39;s war in Ukraine.</div><div style="font-size: medium; line-height: 24px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; text-transform: none; font-family: knowledge-regular, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 400; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); max-width: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal;">The European Union&#39;s top sanctions official has been in Washington this week to discuss coordinated sanctions. If adopted, it would be the first time the United States and Europe had taken coordinated steps against Russia since Trump returned to office in January promising to end the war in 24 hours.</div>

Poland became the first NATO member to shoot down drones linked to Russia’s war in Ukraine, prompting Warsaw to trigger NATO consultations under Article 4. Prime Minister Tusk called it the “closest we’ve been to open conflict since World War Two,” as Europe debates sanctions and collective action

Articles tagged with "NATO"