Europe privately warns Russia that NATO is ready to shoot down russian planes — Bloomberg

Representatives of several European countries have privately warned the aggressor country russia that NATO is ready to shoot down russian planes that violate the alliance's airspace.

It was reported by Bloomberg, citing its own sources.

According to the agency, diplomats from the UK, France and Germany held a "tense" meeting with russian representatives in Moscow this week. They expressed concern over the incursion of three MiG-31 fighter jets into Estonian airspace.

Unnamed interlocutors told Bloomberg that following the conversation, European diplomats concluded that the violation was a deliberate tactic authorized by the russian command.

The European envoys also said that NATO is ready to respond to further violations of its airspace, including by shooting down russian planes.

According to the agency's sources, during the meeting, russian officials made detailed recordings of the conversation. In Europe, it is assumed that this was done in order to present the russian leadership with a detailed report on NATO's position.

Bloomberg's interlocutors also reported that the russians at the meeting said that the aircraft invasion was a response to Ukraine's attacks on occupied Crimea. Russian representatives said that these attacks would not have been possible without NATO support, and as a result, moscow believes that it is already involved in a confrontation with the West, including European countries.

As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, on September 19, three russian MiG-31 fighters, which can be equipped with Kinzhal missiles, flew into Estonian airspace.

They were in the country's sky for 12 minutes until NATO aircraft were scrambled to intercept them.

Also on September 19, two russian fighter jets flew in close proximity to the oil and gas platform of the Polish company Petrobaltic in the Baltic Sea.