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NATO allies are considering deploying armed drones along the Russian border — and loosening restrictions on when pilots can shoot down enemy aircraft, according to a report.
The talks were initiated by frontline NATO states that border Russia, backed by the UK and France, but have since broadened to a larger group in the 32-strong alliance, NATO officials told the Financial Times.
Among the proposals on the table are the arming of surveillance drones that collect intelligence on Moscow’s military activities, and lowering the bar for pilots patrolling the border to take down Russian threats.
Some countries require pilots to visually confirm threats before engaging, while others allow them to open fire based solely on radar data or a perceived danger due to direction or speed, according to the Times.
Many officials have called for a more aggressive NATO stance, although others fear the risk of a direct confrontation with Russia, a nuclear power.
The countries also discussed conducting further NATO military exercises on Russia’s border, especially in more remote and unguarded regions.
“There are active discussions on these issues, how to better and more efficiently respond to Russia,” one NATO diplomat said.
It comes just weeks after President Trump said NATO should open fire on any Russian aircraft that breaches allied territory.
In recent months, there has been a marked upsurge in Russian provocations.
Over Polish airspace, NATO planes and Russian drones engaged in direct confrontation for the first time since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022.
Russian drones have also crossed into Romanian territory, while Moscow’s MiG fighter jets flew into Estonian airspace.
In response, NATO held two sets of emergency talks last month and launched Eastern Sentry, a mission to bolster frontline states’ air defenses.
Further massive disruptions have been caused by fleets of unidentified drones over airports in Belgium, Denmark and Germany, with some officials blaming Russian hybrid war tactics.
“When it comes to the range of hybrid or gray-zone activities we’ve seen, including cyber attacks, drone incursions or attempts to sabotage critical infrastructure, NATO is working closely with allies to ensure we’re taking appropriate steps to ensure we can deter and defend,” a NATO official said.
The Eastern Sentry mission “adds strength and flexibility to our posture along the eastern flank and beyond, and also incorporates new and novel technologies,” the official added.
The US is “working every single day” with allies to ensure “we have better options on the asymmetrical… and hybrid war,” US ambassador to NATO Matthew Whittaker told reporters last week.
He stressed it was vital “to make sure that we have enough rungs on the escalation ladder.”
English (US)