NATO announced, on Friday, that its air forces have launched over 300 missions this year to intercept Russian military aircraft. NATO stated that “the vast majority of aerial encounters between NATO aircraft and Russian planes were safe and professional. Russian military aircraft’s breaches of NATO airspace were rare and generally short-lived,” with most of these incursions happening over the Baltic Sea.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February of last year, NATO significantly strengthened its air defenses on the eastern flank, including additional fighter jets, surveillance patrols, and ground-based air defenses.
NATO spokesperson Dylan White said in a statement, “NATO’s fighter jets are on duty around the clock, ready to take off in case of suspicious or unannounced flights near our allies’ airspace.”
Earlier on the same Friday, Russia launched one of its largest missile attacks on Ukraine during the war, resulting in the death of 12 civilians and injuring dozens. The attack targeted residential buildings in the capital Kyiv and areas in the south and west of the country.
The Russian foreign ministry has expressed concerns over NATO’s actions, which they perceive as a return to Cold War dynamics. They have stated their readiness to respond to what they see as threats to Russia’s security. This includes allegations that NATO is lowering the threshold for the use of force and escalating tensions by supplying Ukraine with more powerful and sophisticated weaponry. Russia’s response includes plans to further strengthen its military organization and defense system.
The NATO summit held in Lithuania’s capital, Vilnius, became a focal point for these tensions. U.S. President Joe Biden accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of having a “craven lust for land and power,” leading to his brutal war on Ukraine. He emphasized NATO’s unity and increased support for Ukraine. The summit concluded with the U.S. and its allies offering Ukraine new security assurances for its defense against Russia. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy did not receive a concrete timeline for NATO membership, which he had been lobbying for.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned of a potential military escalation due to Western support for Ukraine, including the possibility of supplying Ukraine with US-made F-16 fighter jets, which Russia views as a nuclear threat. Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy secretary of Russia’s Security Council, also warned that assistance to Ukraine from NATO members brought the threat of a third global conflict closer.
