UK Summons Russian Ambassador over NATO Airspace Violations

London, Sep 15 (AP) Britain's government summoned the Russian ambassador in London following what it described as an “unprecedented violation” of NATO airspace by Moscow.

The Foreign Office expressed strong disapproval of recent incursions into Polish and Romanian airspace by Russian drones, labeling them as "unacceptable," and summoned Andrei Kelin, the Russian ambassador.

The ministry stated, “Significant and unprecedented violations of Polish and NATO airspace by Russian drones last week, followed by a further incursion into Romanian airspace on Saturday, are utterly unacceptable.”

It further emphasized that “Russia should understand that its continued aggression only strengthens the unity between NATO allies and our determination to stand with Ukraine, and any further incursions will again be met with force.” The ministry insisted, “Russia must end its illegal war on Ukraine.”

The UK reiterated its solidarity with Poland, Romania, Ukraine, and other NATO allies, condemning Russia's actions as reckless.

The incident on Wednesday saw multiple Russian drones entering Polish airspace in what European officials saw as a deliberate provocation. NATO responded by deploying fighter jets to neutralize the threat, underscoring longstanding concerns about the potential expansion of Russia's over three-year conflict in Ukraine.

Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Polish airspace has faced several violations. However, the scale of Wednesday's incursions was unprecedented for Poland or any other NATO country.

Romanian authorities reported on Saturday that two F-16 jets were deployed to intercept a drone that briefly breached their airspace. The defense ministry noted that the drone did not fly over inhabited areas and posed no immediate threat to the public. (AP) SKS SKS

(Only the headline of this report may have been reworked by Editorji; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)