Russia makes chilling WW3 threat if any of their jets are shot down by NATO
Topics: World News, News, Russia, Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin
Lucy Devine
Featured Image Credit: Getty Images/ALEXANDER KAZAKOV
Topics: World News, News, Russia, Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin
Russia has allegedly made an alarming threat if any of its jets are shot down by NATO.
In recent weeks, tensions have been mounting between Russia and the West after Russia was accused of violating the airspace of NATO countries.
Last week, a trio of Russian MiG-31 fighter jets allegedly crossed into Estonia's airspace for approximately 12 minutes.
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna addressed the move in a statement, calling it 'unprecedentedly brazen'.
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He said: “Russia has violated Estonian airspace four times already this year, which is unacceptable in itself, but today’s violation, during which three fighter jets entered our airspace, is unprecedentedly brazen.
“Russia’s ever-increasing testing of borders and aggressiveness must be responded to by rapidly strengthening political and economic pressure.”
Russia has since denied the violation, claiming its jets were in the neutral Baltic waters rather than Estonia airspace.
It came shortly after Poland's Prime Minister, Donald Tusk confirmed that armed forces had intercepted several drones - later identified as Russian - which had crossed into Polish airspace.
In a statement, he said: "Last night, the Polish airspace was violated by a huge number of Russian drones. Those drones that posed a direct threat were shot down.
"I am in constant communication with the secretary general of NATO and our allies."
After its airspace had been violated, Poland requested to invoke NATO's Article 4, which means NATO members 'will consult together whenever, in the opinion of any of them, the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the Parties is threatened'.
Following the events, President Donald Trump told NATO countries that they should shoot down Russian planes if they breach airspace again.
Responding to a reporter who asked if NATO countries should go ahead and take this type of action if the breach happens, he said 'yes, I do'.
However, Alexey Meshkov, who is Russia's ambassador to France, explained that if NATO countries did shoot down their aircraft, it 'would be war'.
In a translated RTL article, he is reported as saying: "You know, there are many NATO aircraft that violate Russian airspace (...) it happens quite often. Afterwards, they are not shot down."
It comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that 'no one can feel safe right now'.
Speaking at the United Nations HQ, he said: “Putin will keep driving the war forward, wider and deeper.
“We told you before: Ukraine is only the first. Now, Russian drones are already flying across Europe, and Russian operations are already spreading across countries.
“Putin wants to continue this war by expanding it, and no one can feel safe right now.”