Russia dismisses Nato airspace violation claims as ‘hysteria’

MOSCOW - Russia on Sept 24 dismissed claims that it breached Nato’s airspace as “hysteria”, a day after US President Donald Trump said the allies should shoot down Russian jets if they violate their territory.

Nato countries say multiple Russian fighter jets and drones have violated European member states’ airspace in recent weeks, accusing Moscow of testing the alliance’s boundaries.

“We hear such exaggerated hysteria about our military pilots allegedly violating some rules and invading someone’s airspace,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, adding that the claims were “unfounded”.

Mr Trump on Sept 23 said Nato nations

should shoot down Russian aircraft violating their airspace

as he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the United Nations.

Nato jets intercepted three Russian MiG-31 fighters last week after they

entered Estonian airspace

over the Gulf of Finland.

On Sept 22, Denmark

had to close the airport in the capital Copenhagen

after it said unidentified drones caused dozens of flights to be diverted or cancelled, disrupting thousands of passengers.

“Our military aviation complies with all flight rules and regulations, is guided by them, and adheres to them in the strictest manner,” Mr Peskov told journalists at a daily briefing.

Nato said Sept 23 it was “too early to say” whether drone flights over Denmark were linked to recent Russian violations of the alliance’s airspace.

The incidents follow drone incursions

in Romania and Poland

, where some of the unmanned aircraft were shot down by Nato jets. AFP