Nato has just five per cent of the air defence capabilities it needs to protect Europe from Russia, confidential defence plans show.

A senior Nato diplomat admitted to the Financial Times that the ability to defend against missiles and air strike attacks was “a major part of the plan to defend eastern Europe from invasion”, adding: “And right now, we don’t have that.”

A second Nato diplomat added that air defence “is one of the biggest holes we have” on the eastern flank. “We can’t deny it,” they said.

The war in Ukraine has highlighted the need for strong air defence as Russia pummels its forces with daily bombing raids.

Last year, the UK government described the “challenge of protecting… against attack from the skies” as being “its most acute for over 30 years”.

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