NATO drafts new rules on shooting down Russian aircraft

The Telegraph reported the information.

According to the source, NATO members seek to agree on common principles for opening fire on Russian targets. In particular, this concerns fighter jets carrying air-to-ground missiles that enter the airspace of Alliance countries.

“Defence chiefs want Russian jets carrying ground-attack missiles over allied airspace to be possible targets,” the report says.

The new rules will be discussed by NATO defense ministers at a meeting on Wednesday, October 15. The Alliance is being forced to act amid a growing number of Russian aerial provocations.

• On September 19, three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets illegally entered Estonian airspace. Estonia’s government called for consultations with NATO under Article 4.
• On September 25, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said he agreed with U.S. leader Donald Trump that Russian aircraft should be shot down if they violate the airspace of NATO member states.
• On October 14, Rutte said that Russian aircraft do not pose a real danger, and the Alliance’s response is always measured: “if we were weak, maybe we’d shoot them down immediately.”