TWO Russian military aircraft once again violated NATO airspace in a brazen raid, forcing the Western alliance to send in fighter jets.
Lithuania’s military said a Russian Su-30 fighter jet and an Il-78 refueling tanker plane violated the country’s sovereign airspace and remained there for at least 18 seconds.
He said both Russian military planes entered Lithuania from the Kaliningrad region, a strategic Russian enclave in the heart of Europe.
Spanish Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft from NATO’s Baltic Air Police were deployed in response and are patrolling the area, the military added.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said: “This afternoon, Russian military aircraft violated Lithuanian airspace. This is a flagrant violation of international law and the territorial integrity of Lithuania.
“Once again, this confirms the importance of strengthening European air defense readiness.”
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Russia’s Defense Ministry has since denied any violation of Lithuanian airspace, insisting that the planes were carrying out a “training fight” over the country’s Kaliningrad region.
The brazen raid is the latest in a series of NATO air violations by Russia.
It comes just a day after the United States imposed direct sanctions on Russia to pressure Vladimir Putin to agree to an “immediate ceasefire” in the Ukraine war.
It is the first time in his second term that Trump has imposed direct sanctions on Russia, and it comes amid his growing frustration with Moscow over the war.
Putin said imposing sanctions – which targeted Russia’s two biggest oil giants – was a “hostile act” but that Russia would not bow to pressure.
In recent weeks, Europe has witnessed clashes with fighter jets, mysterious sightings of large drones and coordinated sabotage activities that paralyzed operations at major airports.
Three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets entered Estonian airspace “without authorization” in September, prompting an emergency NATO meeting.
The fighter jets reportedly flew over Vaindloo Island and remained there for almost 12 minutes.
The unprecedented maneuver caused two Italian F-35s to immediately take off from the Amari air base, about 50 kilometers from the capital, Tallinn.
Shortly after, Polish authorities reported a “low flyover” by Russian military aircraft near an oil and gas platform.
And just a few weeks earlier, Polish authorities said they had detected 19 violations of their airspace.
It prompted a dramatic million-dollar response as fighter jets were deployed and Patriot air defense systems were put on alert.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the incident brought Poland closer to military conflict “than at any time since World War II.”
Up to four drones were shot down with the help of NATO allies.
Mysterious drone sightings also briefly shut down a Danish airport twice in a few hours after the country’s prime minister said the flights were part of “hybrid attacks” that may be linked to Russia.
All military and security experts pointed the finger at Vladimir Putin, who has a chilling past of orchestrating sabotage activities and other hybrid warfare techniques against the West.
NATO has now said it will shoot down any Russian aircraft that violate alliance airspace.
But the bold statement has attracted a sinister threat from Moscow, which said acting on it would mean war.
Fortress Europe
Europe is now preparing to defend itself from Putin’s tyrannical ambitions during World War III with an incredible four-pronged plan: air shield, space shield, drone wall, and flank surveillance.
After Moscow’s repeated (and unprovoked) air invasions that threaten Europe’s security, the continent is now on a war footing to fight Putin’s aggression.
The European Commission has now proposed four flagship European defense projects – including an anti-drone system and a plan to fortify the eastern border – to defend against Russia by 2030.
Plans are to create a European Air Shield, which will defend against missiles and other aerial threats.
Meanwhile, a European Space Shield will be created to protect European space assets and services.
And nations on NATO’s eastern flank will build a multi-layered air defense system that will help detect drones early and shoot them down.
Alongside the drone initiative is a broader “Eastern Flank Surveillance” program designed to bolster air and ground defenses along the EU border closest to Russia by the end of 2028.
Several leading European nations attended a virtual meeting to assess how to secure their borders with the drone wall, which officials say is the need of the hour.
They include the Baltic republics, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria, as well as Ukraine.
Although Ukraine is not part of the project, it has the most experience in shooting down drones.
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The goal of the “drone wall” is to build a sophisticated multi-layered air defense system that can detect, track and shoot down rogue drones, without having to deploy fighter jets and use multimillion-dollar missiles as a first response.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said: “The danger will not disappear even when the war in Ukraine ends. It is clear that we need to strengthen our defenses against Russia.”
