Czech President does not rule out shooting down Russian aircraft if airspace violations continue

President of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel does not rule out that if Russia continues to violate European airspace, countries may begin shooting down Russian drones or aircraft. 

According to Ukrinform, he said this in an interview with The Times.

Pavel said that he believed the moment would come, if the violations of EU airspace by Russia continued, tougher measures would have to be taken, including the potential shooting down of a Russian aircraft or drones. Russia would not allow repeated violations of its own airspace and that European countries should act the same way.

He added that these violations of European airspace are intentional, well-planned, and focused on several goals.

According to him, one of those goals was to show that Russia could do it, another was to test Europe's air-defense system, and the actions were also meant to test Europe's determination to act in self-defense.

As Ukrinform reported, in the autumn European aviation repeatedly descended into chaos due to the appearance of drones and unidentified aerial objects, including at the airports of Copenhagen and Munich.

Polish soldiers also shot down drones that violated Poland's airspace during the night of September 10. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that NATO allies are facing a large-scale provocation by Moscow.

On September 19, three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets entered Estonia's airspace near the island of Vaindloo without permission.

Austrian military expert and lecturer at Austria's National Defence Academy Gustav Gressel said that Russia's drone provocations in Europe are aimed at forcing Europeans to end their support for Ukraine.

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