NATO considers shooting down Russian missiles near its borders
Poland’s Deputy Foreign Minister Andrzej Shejna said that the North Atlantic Alliance (NATO) is considering an action plan to intercept Russian missiles approaching the borders of member states. In his press statement, Sheyna noted that the alliance is analyzing various strategies, including the possibility of shooting down missiles flying in the direction of NATO, provided that this would be done with Ukraine’s consent and taking into account international consequences.
The latest incident, when a Russian missile violated Polish airspace, penetrating 2 kilometers into Polish territory in a maneuver to strike Ukrainian targets, has once again raised the issue of security of the territories of the Alliance. According to Sheina, the missile was traveling at a speed of almost 800 kilometers per hour at an altitude of 400 meters and its flight was deliberate, in order to test the defense and vigilance of the Polish armed forces.
The deputy minister emphasized that Russia should not impose its rules on the Alliance countries, and that NATO, as a party of democratic states, will set the tone for resolving the conflict in Ukraine.
This incident is not the first time that Russian missiles have violated Polish airspace. Earlier, in December, a Russian cruise missile also entered Polish airspace, flying about 40 kilometers, but later returned. In addition, in April 2023, the remains of an X-55 missile were discovered in the forest near Bydgoszcz, which also indicates potential threats to the security of the Alliance countries from Russian military activity.
