A NATO leader has issued a fierce warning that the alliance will consider shooting down Russian missiles that come too close to its borders – even while still over Ukraine.
The threat would place NATO forces in direct confrontation with Russian assets – a move not yet seen since Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
Poland’s deputy foreign minister Andrzej Szejna told RMF24: “[Russia] knew that if the missile moved further into Poland, it would be shot down.
“There would be a counter-attack. Various concepts are being analysed within NATO, including for such missiles to be shot down when they are very close to the NATO border.”
The move would need Ukrainian approval, the deputy foreign minister added.
The comments come after Poland had to scramble fighter jets during a Russian attack on Western Ukraine as one of Moscow’s missiles entered Poland for 39 seconds.
An attack on one NATO country is considered an attack on all of the alliance meaning a miscalculation could potentially lead to conflict between nuclear-armed states.
The news comes as Ukraine sunk or disabled a third of all Russian warships in the Black Sea in just over two years of war, the navy spokesman said Tuesday, a heavy blow to Moscow’s military capability.
Ukraine’s Navy spokesman Dmytro Pletenchuk told The Associated Press that the latest strike on Saturday night hit the Russian amphibious landing ship Kostiantyn Olshansky that was resting in dock in Sevastopol in Russia-occupied Crimea.
The ship was part of the Ukrainian navy before Russia captured it while annexing the Black Sea peninsula in 2014.
Pletenchuk has previously announced that two other landing ships of the same type, Azov and Yamal, also were damaged in Saturday’s strike along with the Ivan Khurs intelligence ship.
While the land battle on the frontlines has been in a deadlock for Ukraine, Kyiv has focused on striking Russian ships in the Black Sea as well as attacking Russian targets inside the country including numerous oil refineries.
Russia has responded with devastating strikes on Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure including cities and power stations.
