After Putin’s provocations, Sweden declared: “We are going to shoot down Russian planes.”

The Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson stated that the country will not hesitate to use force against Russian military aircraft violating its airspace. If necessary, Swedish forces will immediately open fire, based on new internal security rules.

According to Jonson, “no country has the right to violate Sweden’s airspace. If necessary, we have the right to defend it with weapons.” He also added that the government has given instructions to the army in case of such invasions, including the use of firearms, both with and without warning.

This statement coincided with numerous instances of Russian violations of NATO countries’ airspace. For instance, Russian drones invaded Polish airspace parallel to large-scale air attacks on Ukraine. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk issued a warning that any “foreign” entity would be shot down, but in complex situations, caution should be exercised to avoid escalation.

Invasions and Reactions to Them

On September 19, three Russian MiG-31 aircraft crossed into Estonian airspace. Following this, Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna stated that the country had approached NATO to consider the issue under the alliance’s fourth article, warning that “the invasion of Russian fighters brings the Baltic countries closer to a potential armed conflict.” This year marks the fourth violation by Russia.

Recent Aviation Incidents

The day before, operations at Copenhagen International Airport were suspended for several hours due to the detection of two to four large drones in the sky. The incident led to the cancellation of at least 15 flights and caused delays in aircraft movement in the region.

Potential Threats and Preparations

In addition to warnings about airspace violations, the Swedish Defense Minister criticized the lack of time left for Europe to prepare for potential threats from Russia. In his opinion, within two to five years, Russia may undertake a limited invasion of the Baltic regions. Jonson noted the readiness of the Russian leader “to take political and military risks,” which poses a threat not only to neighboring NATO countries, whose border stretches about 2,300 kilometers, but also to all of Europe.