Moscow envoy threatens war if NATO shoots down Russian aircraft
NATO potentially shooting down a Russian plane in allied airspace "would be war," Russian Ambassador to France, Alexey Meshkov, said in an interview with the RTL news channel published on Sept. 25.
The comments come amid surging tensions between Moscow and NATO as the allies accused Russia of multiple airspace violations in recent weeks.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said that NATO countries should shoot down Russian aircraft violating their airspace, a statement welcomed by many eastern members.
When asked what Russia's reaction would be in such a case, Meshkov replied that downing a Russian plane would amount to war.
"You know, there are many NATO planes that violate Russian airspace, deliberately or not, but it happens quite often. They are not shot down afterward," the ambassador claimed, without providing an example.
Poland's air defenses downed at least three Russian drones in its airspace on Sept. 10, while another unmanned aircraft was recorded flying over Romania for almost an hour a few days later. On Sept. 19, Estonia said that three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets violated its airspace for 12 minutes.
Meshkov denied the accusations, echoing previous statements from the Kremlin. Moscow has also refuted any connection to suspicious drone sightings in Denmark and Norway earlier this week.
The recent incidents have further strained already tense relations between Russia and NATO countries, many of which have been supporting Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022.
Recent months saw Western leaders warn of a potential open conflict with Russia in the coming years after the war in Ukraine ends.
