News - NATO Allies Discuss Letting Pilots Open Fire on Russian Aircraft: Report

NATO allies are discussing easing the rules for pilots to let them shoot down Russian aircraft, according to a report by the Financial Times, as they consider a tougher approach against Moscow following a spate of alleged airspace violations, drone swarms, and sabotage plots in Europe. The FT, citing four unnamed NATO officials, also reported that the deployment of armed drones along the border with Russia was under consideration. The asymmetric cost of scrambling fighter jets to intercept drones is a running concern for the alliance, which is seeking a financially sustainable solution. Newsweek has contacted NATO and the Russian foreign ministry for comment. Russia, which has mocked and denied the accusations against it, has warned that NATO shooting down its aircraft would be a serious escalation that could lead to open war. But some in the alliance believe that Russia responds only to hard deterrence, and so airspace violations must be met with a powerful response. NATO-Russia tensions are worsening as the war in Ukraine rages on. There is an increasing risk of a direct conflict between Russia and NATO, two sides armed with vast arsenals of nuclear weapons. Both sides have characterized the current situation as a form of war with each other, though there has been no such formal declaration by either Russia or NATO. This is a developing article. Updates to follow. A US Air Force F-35 fifth-generation jet fighter flies during NATO’s Ramstein Flag 2025 exercise at Leeuwarden Air Base on April 8, 2025.