Ukraine calls on NATO to be firmer against Russian drones
Ukrainian presidential adviser Mikhailo Podoliak has called on Romania and other NATO countries bordering Ukraine to be firmer in their response to Russian drones entering their airspace.
Podoliak said that Ukraine does not expect NATO to declare war on Russia, but that he believes the alliance can do more to deter further violations of its airspace.
Of course, no one expects NATO to invoke Article 5 and go to war with Russia over a metal can falling in a Romanian field. This is not the case. Russia allows itself to use the airspace of Romania and other neighbors to launch missile attacks on Ukraine for one reason only.…
— Михайло Подоляк (@Podolyak_M) September 8, 2023
"Perhaps it would be worth pointing out more firmly that it is unacceptable to violate their airspace?" Podoliak wrote on Twitter. "For example, they could declare that they are ready to shoot down drones and missiles within a certain range to protect their borders."
Podoliak said that the silence of NATO countries in the face of these violations is emboldening Russia to continue using the airspace of its neighbours to launch attacks against Ukraine.
"Russia is using the airspace of our neighbours to launch missile attacks against Ukraine," Podoliak said. "This is unacceptable and must be stopped."
The Ukrainian advisor's comments come after a Russian military drone crashed in Romania on Tuesday. The drone was carrying explosives and could have caused significant damage if it had not been intercepted by Romanian air defences.
The incident is the latest in a series of Russian airspace violations in recent weeks. In April, a Russian helicopter was shot down by a Ukrainian air defence missile near the border with Romania.
NATO has not yet responded to Podoliak's calls for a more forceful response to Russian airspace violations. However, the alliance has said that it is committed to defending its members, including Romania.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
