The Russian Ambassador to France, Alexey Meshkov, has warned that the downing of a Russian aircraft by NATO forces in the airspace of any allied country would lead to war.
The statement came during an interview with French news channel RTL, amid rising tensions between Russia and the Western alliance.
Meshkov’s comments follow statements by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who suggested that NATO countries should shoot down Russian planes violating their airspace.
“Downing a Russian aircraft would constitute an act of war. You know, many NATO planes enter Russian airspace, intentionally or not, and this happens quite often. They are not shot down afterward,” said the Russian ambassador.
Following the ambassador’s remarks, NATO member states reported several recent incidents in which Russian aircraft and drones violated their airspace.
On September 10, Poland reported downing at least three Russian drones over its territory, while Romania confirmed a Russian unmanned aerial vehicle flying over its airspace for about an hour. On September 19, Estonia reported three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets entering its airspace for 12 minutes.
Moscow has denied these allegations, calling them baseless and part of a campaign against Russia. Ambassador Meshkov reiterated the Kremlin’s official position, denying links to suspicious drone activity observed in Denmark and Norway earlier this week.
Repeated incidents along NATO’s eastern borders are further straining already tense relations between the West and Russia, especially since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
In recent months, Western officials have warned of a risk of direct military confrontation with Russia in the coming years, particularly if the war in Ukraine escalates or continues for an extended period.
