In Slovakia, President Peter Pellegrini initiated a debate on introducing a so-called "state of alert" into national legislation after a drone crashed in Ukraine near the Slovak border, stating that the threat of a foreign missile or drone "straying" into the country's territory in the future, even if initially aimed at other targets, cannot be underestimated, writes UNN with reference to TASR.
Details
As Denník N writes, according to Pellegrini, Slovakia needs to introduce the institution of a state of emergency into the constitution so that the army's capabilities can be used even in peacetime. The president agreed on this with the country's Minister of Defense Robert Kaliňák and the Chief of the General Staff Daniel Zmek.
"Today, Slovakia recognizes only a 'state of peace' or a 'state of war'. There is nothing in between. Our army faces a problem because in peacetime it cannot effectively carry out all preventive measures for a safe response to incidents, such as the potential fall of a stray drone or other objects heading towards our territory," Pellegrini said in a video published on social media on Wednesday.
Pellegrini convened a round table for next week, where senior military leadership will explain the necessary legislative changes to representatives of political parties. According to him, opposition politicians also accepted the invitation.
"I hope that an incident similar to what happened today (April 1 - ed.), within sight of the Slovak border, will be a sufficiently weighty argument for everyone to join a meaningful and professional discussion," Pellegrini said.
Context
On Wednesday, April 1, the Slovak armed forces received information from allies about the movement of a drone in Ukraine near the Slovak border. As reported by the Zakarpattia Regional Military Administration, during an air raid alert, Russia launched a drone attack on critical infrastructure facilities in the Khust and Uzhhorod districts.
Since the drone did not cross the defined line, no military assets were deployed in Slovakia. After losing contact near the state border, "the Slovak armed forces received confirmation that it crashed outside Slovak territory," the publication writes.