Rutte: NATO to use intelligence to decide whether to shoot down Russian drones and planes

NATO will make decisions to shoot down Russian aircraft or drones that violate Alliance airspace based on real-time intelligence on the level of threat they may pose. About said nATO secretary general Mark Rutte at the Alliance's headquarters in Brussels on September 23.

"Decisions to use force against offending aircraft, including shooting them down, are made in real time and are always based on intelligence about the level of threat," Rutte said.

He added that this takes into account the intentions of the aircraft, its weapons, and possible risks to Allied forces, civilians, or infrastructure.

The Secretary General noted that NATO's Allied Forces in Europe, led by Supreme Allied Commander Alexus Grinkevichhave all the authority, responsibility and necessary resources to make such decisions.

"In the case of the most recent airspace violation in Estonia that we discussed today, NATO forces intercepted and escorted the aircraft promptly and without escalation, as no immediate threat was identified," Rutte said.

• on September 19, Russian MiG-31 fighters violated Estonian airspace near Tallinn. In total, they flew over Estonia about 12 minutes.
• On the same day russian fighters violated the security zone of the Polish company Petrobaltic's drilling platform in the Baltic Sea. More than a week before that two dozen Russian UAVs violated Polish airspace.
• on September 22, Tusk said that Poland will bring down objects that clearly violate its airspace. British Foreign Secretary to the UN declared its readiness to to repel offending aircraft.