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Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia will react to any airspace violation or related incident like any “sovereign nation” would.
Russian Sukhoi Su-30SM jet fighters seen in action during the Zapad Exercise in Belarus. (IMAGE: REUTERS)
The Kremlin on Monday said it would “react like a sovereign nation” if aircraft are downed in its airspace. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov gave the response when asked by reporters on Russian reaction to any violation of its airspace.
“How do you think we’ll react? We are a sovereign country. How should we react?” he told reporters.
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The remarks come shortly after European diplomats warned the Kremlin last week that the NATO will respond to alleged Russian airspace violations with full force.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Thursday he supported the idea of targeting Russian jets if they violate members’ airspace.
“I totally agree here with President Trump,” he told Fox News, adding that NATO “will also do more, and if necessary, the ultimate to protect our people.”
Asked on Tuesday whether US President Donald Trump thought NATO states should shoot down any Russian planes that violate its airspace, he said: “Yes, I do.”
A report by Bloomberg said that European diplomats informed Moscow that NATO will respond by shooting down Russian planes if there are alleged violations of airspace.
The meeting took place in Moscow where British, French and German envoys raised their concerns about an alleged by three MiG-31 fighter jets over Estonia earlier in September. The envoys told Bloomberg that the alleged violation was “a deliberate tactic ordered by Russian commanders”.
NATO claims that its jets intercepted three Russian MiG-31 fighters last week after they entered Estonian airspace over the Gulf of Finland.
Peskov denied the claim and said that Estonia provided no evidence of the incident, and called Tallinn’s rhetoric “yet another significant escalation of tensions near our border”, according to a report by AFP.
The news agency said that Denmark has several times this week been forced to close some of its airports after it said unidentified drones crossed its skies.
Earlier this month NATO scrambled jets after around 20 Russian drones allegedly flew through Polish airspace, downing at least three of them.
About the Author
Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a senior subeditor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over five years of experience during which he has covered sev…Read More
Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a senior subeditor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over five years of experience during which he has covered sev… Read More
Moscow, Russia
September 29, 2025, 15:48 IST
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