Europeans Privately Tell Russia They’re Ready to Down Jets

(Bloomberg) -- European diplomats warned the Kremlin this week that NATO is ready to respond to further violations of its airspace with full force, including by shooting down Russian planes, according to officials familiar with the exchange.

At a tense meeting in Moscow, British, French and German envoys addressed their concerns about an incursion by three MiG-31 fighter jets over Estonia last week, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity as the talks took place behind closed doors. Following the conversation, they concluded that the violation had been a deliberate tactic ordered by Russian commanders.

Asked about the warnings, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said “I don’t even want to talk about this, because it’s a very irresponsible statement,” the state-run Tass news agency reported on Friday. Responding to a query about Bloomberg’s reporting, Peskov reiterated Russia’s position that no evidence has confirmed Russian airspace violations.

NATO’s eastern members have faced a series of violations this month that have posed an unprecedented test of the alliance’s resolve at a moment when Vladimir Putin is stepping up Russian attacks on Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure and US backing for Kyiv is wavering

Danish officials believe drone flyovers at 4 airports are meant to sow fear and division

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Drones flew over four Danish airports overnight Wednesday into Thursday, the latest instance of unexplained drone activity that has raised concerns about security in northern Europe amid growing Russian aggression.

Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen called the incidents a “hybrid attack” because the flights all occurred within roughly the same timeframe. It was not immediately clear who was behind the incidents, but Lund Poulsen said that it appeared a “professional actor” was behind the “systematic” flights.

While careful not to directly accuse a specific country, Danish intelligence officials reiterated that they estimate the risk of Russian espionage and sabotage in Denmark as high. “We have seen this in other parts of Europe, and we must also expect to see it in Denmark,” said Finn Borch, the head of the Danish Security Intelligence Service at a news conference Thursday night.