NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that the Alliance will not always shoot down Russian aircraft that violate the airspace of member countries. However, decisions on the use of force against aircraft or drones will be made based on intelligence data about the level of threat they may pose. Rutte made this statement during a press conference, as reported by UNN.
Details
Since no immediate threat was assessed in this case, there was no need to shoot down the aircraft. And, of course, we will always ensure that we respond proportionately. But if necessary, you can be sure that we will do everything necessary to protect our cities, our people, our infrastructure. But that's how it works. It doesn't mean that we will always immediately shoot down aircraft. As I said, we will assess the situation in real time based on all available intelligence, based on clear criteria.
Recall
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that there was no need to shoot down MiG aircraft that flew into Estonia and stayed there for 12 minutes, as they did not pose an immediate threat.