Two forces ready to take action: expert on shooting down Russian jets over NATO

Valerii Romanenko, aviation expert and senior researcher at the State Aviation Museum, shared the information on Espreso TV.

“There were agreements that if a plane was not heading toward a military target, if it accidentally violated a country’s airspace, and there was a high probability that it was an accident, such aircraft would be escorted and not shot down. Afterward, a diplomatic note and other steps would follow. But now these flights from Russia have become regular. In other words, it is time to abandon these agreements,” Romanenko emphasized.

According to the expert, the Russians now constantly stage provocations — these are no longer accidental incursions of Russian aircraft, but regular ones.

“There are two forces currently capable of carrying this out — national, that is, the own air forces of each country. Poland and Hungary can easily shoot down Russian aircraft. But the Baltic countries do not have their own air forces, so NATO aviation units from other countries — Portugal, Spain, Italy, Germany, and the United Kingdom — rotate there. Their fighters are based at airfields in the Baltic countries, scramble from there, escort Russian aircraft, and if they determine it is another provocative overflight, a decision to destroy them is already being prepared,” Romanenko explained.

The expert also added that Russian drones violating NATO airspace will now simply be destroyed.

“But for now, there is nothing to shoot them with, because NATO countries have not developed a drone-combat system like Ukraine’s,” Romanenko added.

• Military analyst Oleksii Hetman noted that the Pentagon has convened over 800 generals from around the world to plan a response to possible Russian aggression against NATO countries.