Adviser to the President of Lithuania: the country must be ready to shoot down enemy fighters violating its airspace
Kyiv • UNN
Chief adviser to the President of Lithuania, Deividas Matulionis, stated that the country must be able to use force against aircraft of hostile countries if they violate its airspace. This is a matter of national competence, but NATO may be involved in the event of a serious threat.
Deividas Matulionis, chief advisor to the President of Lithuania, stated that his country should be able to use force against aircraft of hostile countries if they violate its airspace. At the same time, he emphasized the importance of careful escalation management. This is reported by LRT, writes UNN.
Details
I can confirm that they should be shot down
According to him, the decision to eliminate an aerial target is, first of all, a matter of national competence, but in case of a serious threat, NATO can also be involved.
The issue of shooting down an object that has entered the airspace of each country is, first of all, a matter of national competence. NATO can also take specific actions if it is determined that there is a threat
At the same time, the advisor warned against a simplified understanding of such decisions, noting that the process itself is not as simple as it seems at first glance. According to the Lithuanian advisor, if an aircraft approaches and missiles are immediately launched at it, escalation is possible, and it must be managed and handled carefully.
His statement came after an incident in Estonia when three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets violated airspace near Vainloo Island. The aircraft were over the country's territory for about 12 minutes without flight plans, with transponders turned off and no radio contact with air traffic control. Eventually, they were intercepted by Italian F-35 fighter jets.
After this, Tallinn initiated consultations under Article 4 of the NATO Treaty, which provides for discussions on threats to the security of allies. The incident occurred just two weeks after a similar provocation – the violation of Polish airspace by approximately 20 Russian drones.
Against the backdrop of an increasing number of such incidents, NATO launched Operation "Eastern Sentinel," aimed at strengthening the defense of the eastern flank. Forces from Denmark, France, Great Britain, and Germany are participating in the mission.
Recall
On September 19, three Russian MiG-31s violated Estonian airspace.
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, commenting on the incident with the violation of Estonian airspace by russian MiG-31s, stated that such actions by Russia are absolutely unacceptable.
After the attack of russian drones on the territory of Poland, the European Union started talking about creating a "drone wall" that would protect EU countries from further russian attacks.