Finland's Toveri Urges NATO Response to Russian Airspace Violations
Pekka Toveri, a parliamentarian and former head of Finnish military intelligence, believes that Poland, supported by NATO, should address the airspace violation. "It's unclear whether the Russians did this deliberately. The general points out that this may only be the start of harassment from Moscow."
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On Sunday morning, the Operational Command of the Armed Forces announced that a Russian missile entered Polish airspace, staying for about 39 seconds at an altitude above Oserdow in the Lublin Voivodeship. The object, as confirmed by Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, was "monitored by Polish radar systems" the entire time until it returned over Ukraine.
Spokesman for the Operational Command of the Armed Forces, Lt. Col. Jacek Goryszewski, explained in a conversation with PAP that trying to shoot down the missile would have posed a greater risk to the local residents than letting the missile exit Polish airspace on its own.
"Poland should respond"
The violation of Polish airspace by Russia has widely resonated among NATO countries. In a conversation with Finland's "Iltalehti," Gen. Pekka Toveri emphasizes that Poland, with the Alliance's support, should respond, especially since, in the case of Russia, which maneuvers its missiles to make wider loops, it's always uncertain if it was perhaps a deliberate action.
"Russia is seeking ways to bypass Ukraine's air defence by using the airspace of a NATO country," says Toveri. "This is unacceptable and must be dealt with," he insists.
According to the Finnish expert, Poland and NATO should enhance their air defence in those areas targeted by Russia, so that threats to civilian populations are detected and neutralized as swiftly as possible. He also suggests that regulations allowing for quick decisions to intercept an enemy missile in peacetime should be considered.
Toveri predicts a surge in airspace violations and intimidation by Russia. "The rhetoric of Russian authorities is becoming more aggressive. They now accuse NATO and claim we are in a state of war - the former head of Finnish military intelligence warns that if an appropriate response is not made now, the threat from the Kremlin will escalate. He adds that it's far from certain that Russian missiles will not violate Finnish airspace in the future.
Source: "Iltalehti", WP News
