NATO responds to Russian threat in Eastern Europe

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced this at a joint press conference with NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe General Alexus Hrynkevich at the Alliance's headquarters in Brussels.

Today we are announcing that NATO is launching Operation Eastern Sentinel to further strengthen our position along the eastern flank. This military activity will begin in the coming days and will include a range of forces and assets from Allies including Denmark, France, the United Kingdom, Germany and others.

Mark Rutte

NATO Secretary General

In addition to more traditional military capabilities, according to the Secretary General, this initiative will also include elements aimed at overcoming the specific challenges associated with the use of drones.

Eastern Watchdog will add flexibility and strength to our position and clearly demonstrate that, as a defensive Alliance, we are always ready to defend ourselves.

In his opinion, on the morning of September 10, when numerous Russian drones violated Polish airspace, NATO air defenses successfully protected the territory.

While this was the largest concentration of violations of NATO airspace we have seen, what happened on Wednesday was not an isolated incident. Russia’s reckless behavior in the air along our eastern flank is becoming more frequent. We have seen drone violations of our airspace in Romania, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Whether intentional or not, it is dangerous and unacceptable.

Rutte also recalled that at a meeting of the North Atlantic Council on Wednesday morning, the allies discussed the situation in light of Poland's request for consultations under Article 4.

Recall that earlier this year, NATO launched Operation Baltic Watch to protect critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea.