Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha has urged Western allies to take more decisive action in supporting Ukraine’s defense efforts following recent incidents involving Russian drones entering NATO airspace. The call comes after both Romania and Latvia reported violations of their airspace by Russian unmanned aerial vehicles.
Russian drones have repeatedly violated the airspace of NATO countries but were not intercepted and crashed, mostly in the border areas. Ukrainian officials have repeatedly called for NATO air defense to shoot down drones and missiles while they are still over Ukraine both to protect themselves and help Ukraine.
Today, Russian drones violated Romanian and Latvian airspace. A stark reminder that Russia's aggressive actions extend beyond Ukraine. Allies’ collective response must be maximum support for Ukraine now to put an end to Russian aggression, protect lives, and keep Europe at peace.
— Andrii Sybiha ???????? (@andrii_sybiha) September 8, 2024
In a statement on social media platform X, Sybiha emphasized that these incursions serve as a “stark reminder that Russia’s aggressive actions extend beyond Ukraine.” He called for a collective response from allies to “put an end to Russian aggression, protect lives, and keep Europe at peace.”
Sybiha outlined three specific actions he believes NATO allies should take:
- Make a “brave collective decision” to use air defense systems to intercept Russian missiles and drones over Ukrainian territory.
- Provide stronger and faster military aid to Ukrainian forces.
- Lift restrictions on Ukraine’s use of weapons.
“Act now,” the minister concluded, stressing the urgency of the situation.
These calls come in the wake of two incidents on 9 September. Romania reported that a Russian drone violated its airspace following an attack on Ukraine, and the country is currently searching for debris on its territory. Similarly, Latvia announced the discovery of a crashed Russian military drone in its eastern region and has launched an investigation.