Russian drones test NATO's Article 5 defense guarantee ahead of Friday sanctions deadline
In recent days, drones launched from the Russian-aligned state of Belarus have pierced Lithuanian airspace, drawing alarms from the region's political and military leaders. One drone traversed approximately 100 kilometers, loitered ominously over Vilnius carrying two kilograms of explosives and ultimately crashed inside a military training zone. Earlier in July, another drone forced the evacuation of high-level officials when it crashed near the Šumskas border crossing.
Simultaneously, Russian forces struck a Ukrainian gas depot located mere yards from Romania's border half a mile away, a strike that triggered warnings and prompted Romanian F‑16s to patrol the vicinity.
Though these seem like isolated incidents, observers point to a troubling pattern. Russian drones have drifted — or perhaps even been directed — into NATO airspace before, and NATO's response has been muted.
New Romanian Law May Have Averted Nato Clash With Russia After Border Strikes
Andrew D'Anieri, associate director of the Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center, told Fox News Digital that while it isn't crystal clear whether Putin is openly testing Article 5, his apparent lack of caution about these actions is telling.
Read On The Fox News App
"The kind of alarming thing is, we haven't seen any real response from NATO to any of these," D'Anieri said.
Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė, while stressing that there is no evidence suggesting the latest drone breached intentionally, said "this is an unprecedented and alarming incident," especially given that the drone flew just one kilometer from the president's residence.
Describing the behavior as "reckless drone incursions," she warned they amount to "a direct test of NATO's resolve." In response, Lithuania has pledged to review its defensive protocols and urged NATO to bolster its air defenses as a clear message that the alliance stands ready to safeguard every inch of its territory.
Romania, having endured repeated drone spillovers, passed a law this May empowering its forces to intercept or destroy unauthorized drones. As a result, no incursion occurred in connection with the latest strike near its border.
Bruno Kahl, head of Germany's Federal Intelligence Service, has been sounding the alarm for months. In November 2024, Kahl cautioned that Russia's growing employment of hybrid tactics — ranging from sabotage and cyberattacks to disinformation — raises the likelihood that NATO may ultimately feel compelled to invoke Article 5.
Nato Jets Scrambled Amid Russia's Largest Drone Attack On Ukraine
More recently, his warnings intensified. In June 2025, he told the media that Moscow appears intent on putting NATO's unity and collective defense to the test. Kahl revealed that Russian officials seem to doubt whether the alliance would uphold Article 5 and might instead deploy covert measures — "little green men" or hybrid provocations — to probe NATO's response, rather than launching overt invasions.
This perspective was echoed by former Lithuanian Ambassador Eitvydas Bajarūnas, who told Fox News Digital that even if the drone events weren't intentional, their psychological force is real.
"This will be the future of war in Eastern Europe," he said. "We might not expect an immediate Russian attack, we might have Russia testing how institutions react, how the public reacts, even. Russia might use these even accidental drone incursions into Baltic airspace, to shore up public anxiety."
Bajarunas too called for a whole of NATO response. "These are incursions into NATO territory. That's why we should not think of it only as a national response, but also allies, the response of the whole of NATO."
Putin's hybrid probes, from drone flights to border strikes, may well mark the new battleground in Eastern Europe, where the test is not one of tanks or missiles, but of unity, readiness and political will.
President Donald Trump gave Putin until Friday for a breakthrough in peace negotiations, after which he has promised to enact steep sanctions.
Trump suggested this week he would target Putin's oil-backed war coffers. "Putin will stop killing people if you get energy down another $10 a barrel. He's going to have no choice because his economy stinks," the president told CNBC's "Squawk Box."
Still, the president remained optimistic about negotiations after his envoy, Steve Witkoff, traveled to Russia to meet with Putin. "Great progress was made!" Trump promised. "Everyone agrees this war must come to a close, and we will work towards that in the days and weeks to come."
The Kremlin has claimed Trump and Putin will soon meet face-to-face for negotiations for the first time in this administration.Original article source: Russian drones test NATO's Article 5 defense guarantee ahead of Friday sanctions deadline
Solve the daily Crossword
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Russian attack hits American factory in Ukraine during US-led push for peace
Russia has launched a rare drone and missile attack on western Ukraine, officials said, striking targets including an American-owned electronics plant and injecting further uncertainty into the US-led peace efforts. The aerial assault on a part of Ukraine that has largely avoided such attacks was one of Russia's biggest this year and came amid Moscow's objections to key aspects of proposals that could end the fighting after Russia's February 2022 invasion of its neighbour. US President Donald Trump discussed the war with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Alaska last week before hosting Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders at the White House on Monday. Mr Trump last month questioned Mr Putin's commitment to ending the war, saying the Russian leader 'talks nice and then he bombs everybody'. In a social media post on Thursday, the US president criticised his predecessor, Joe Biden, for not providing Ukraine with the weaponry it needs to 'fight back'. 'It is very hard, if not impossible, to win a war without attacking an invaders country,' Trump wrote. 'It's like a great team in sports that has a fantastic defense, but is not allowed to play offensive. There is no chance of winning! It is like that with Ukraine and Russia.' Russia has fired nearly 1,000 long-range drones and missiles at Ukraine since Monday's White House talks, according to Ukrainian tallies. European countries are discussing how they can deploy military assets to deter any post-war Russian assault on Ukraine, but the Kremlin will not accept the deployment of any troops from Nato countries, and foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday that making security arrangements for Ukraine without Moscow's involvement was pointless. Mr Putin is ready to meet with Mr Zelensky to discuss peace terms, Mr Lavrov said on Thursday, but only after key issues have been worked out by senior officials in what could be a protracted negotiating process because the two sides remain far apart. Ukrainian and European leaders have accused Mr Putin of stalling in the peace efforts in the hopes that his bigger army, which has been making slow advances, can capture more Ukrainian land. US secretary of state Marco Rubio plans to host a conference call on Thursday with the national security advisers of European countries expected to play a role in future security guarantees for Ukraine, a senior US official said. Military leaders from Ukraine, the US, the UK, Finland, France, Germany and Italy met on Tuesday and Wednesday in Washington to work out military options, said Joseph Holstead, a spokesman for the US Joint Chiefs of Staff. A source said 'everything is being considered and nothing is being ruled out' regarding security guarantees for Ukraine, apart from US boots on the ground. Military chiefs and their staffs are looking at options including 'how big' the security guarantee is and what happens if it is implemented with or without a ceasefire, the official said, noting that European defence chiefs acknowledged it is their 'responsibility to secure Europe'. Russia launched 574 drones and 40 ballistic and cruise missiles overnight, the Ukrainian Air Force said. The attack mostly targeted western regions of the country where much of the military aid provided by Ukraine's western allies is believed to be stored. The strikes killed at least one person and injured 15 others, according to officials. Mr Zelensky condemned the attack amid the push for peace, saying it was carried out 'as if nothing were changing at all'. A US electronics plant near the Hungarian border was struck, according to Andy Hunder, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine. The Flex factory is one of the biggest American investments in Ukraine, he told the Associated Press. At the moment of impact, 600 night shift workers were on the premises, and six were injured, Mr Hunder added. Russian attacks on Ukraine since it launched its invasion have damaged property belonging to more than half of the chamber's roughly 600 members, he said. 'The message is clear: Russia is not looking for peace. Russia is attacking American business in Ukraine, humiliating American business,' Mr Hunder said. Russia's Defence Ministry said the strikes targeted 'enterprises of the Ukrainian military-industrial complex'. It claimed the attack hit drone factories, storage depots and missile launch sites, as well as areas where Ukrainian troops were gathered. Russia has repeatedly denied targeting civilian areas of Ukraine. In the western city of Lviv, one person was killed and three were injured as the attack damaged 26 residential buildings, a nursery school and administrative buildings, regional head Maksym Kozytskyi wrote on Telegram. The regional prosecutor's office said three Russian cruise missiles with cluster munitions struck the city. Moscow has shown no signs of pursuing meaningful negotiations to end the war, Mr Zelensky said. He urged the international community to respond with stronger pressure on Moscow, including tougher sanctions and tariffs. On Wednedsay he said plans for security guarantees will become clearer by the end of next week, and he then expects to be ready to hold direct talks with Mr Putin for the first time since the full-scale invasion. The talks could also be conducted in a trilateral format alongside Mr Trump, the Ukrainian president said.
The Hill
29 minutes ago
- The Hill
Trump raises prospect of Ukraine attacks on Russia: ‘Impossible' to win without attacking invader country
President Trump on Thursday promised 'interesting times ahead' as he raised the prospect of Ukraine launching an offensive against Russia, amid signs that the Kremlin could be slow-walking progress on a peace deal. In a post on the Truth Social platform, the president seemed to justify a hypothetical offensive against Russia and criticized the Biden administration's longstanding policy against Ukraine using U.S. long-range missiles to attack inside Russia. 'It is very hard, if not impossible, to win a war without attacking an invaders country. It's like a great team in sports that has a fantastic defense, but is not allowed to play offense. There is no chance of winning! It is like that with Ukraine and Russia,' Trump wrote in his post. 'Crooked and grossly incompetent Joe Biden would not let Ukraine FIGHT BACK, only DEFEND. How did that work out? Regardless, this is a war that would have NEVER happened if I were President – ZERO CHANCE,' he continued. 'Interesting times ahead!!!' Two weeks after Trump's 2024 victory, former President Biden authorized a major shift in U.S. policy to allow Ukraine to use long-range U.S. missiles to attack sites in Russia. Trump, at the time, sharply criticized the decision, calling it 'stupid' and saying he 'might' consider reversing the decision, adding, 'I think it was a very stupid thing to do.' 'I don't think that should have been allowed, not when there's a possibility — certainly not just weeks before I take over,' Trump said at a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort last December. 'Why would they do that without asking me what I thought? I wouldn't have had him do that. I think it was a big mistake.' Lawmakers in both parties generally offered support for the shift, with some Republicans saying the move was welcome but came too late. Other Republicans, including many of Trump's supporters, echoed the president's sentiment and called the move escalatory. Trump's latest public musing about a hypothetical Ukrainian offensive comes as Russian officials have expressed some doubt about early prospects of a peace deal, including on potential security guarantees for Kyiv and a bilateral meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The Hill
an hour ago
- The Hill
Navarro expects no extension for 50 percents tariffs on India for buying Russian oil
White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said on Thursday that he doesn't expect President Trump to extend the timeline on doubling tariffs on India as a penalty for buying Russian oil beyond next week. Trump is set to hit India on Aug. 27 with a 50 percent tariff, which includes a 25 percent penalty for the oil purchases that Trump has argued are helping fuel Moscow war efforts in Ukraine. 'I see that taking place. India doesn't appear to want to recognize its role in the bloodshed. It simply doesn't,' Navarro told reporters at the White House. 'They don't need oil— it's a refining profiteering scheme,' he added. 'I love India. Look, [President] Modi is a great leader. But please, please India, like, look at what is, what your role here is in the global economy and good here. It's like, what you're doing right now is not creating peace, it's perpetuating the war.' Navarro outlined that India will be hit with 25 percent 'because they cheat us on trade' and 25 percent because of the oil purchases. The top trade adviser wrote in an op-ed in the Financial Times earlier this month that 'India's dependence on Russian crude is opportunistic and deeply corrosive of the world's efforts to isolate Putin's war economy.' Trump is in the midst of setting up a bilateral meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to talk face-to-face about ending the war. But, Russia is sending signals that it intends to slow-walk a deal on Ukraine and tamping down any progress made at a summit at the White House earlier this week where Trump met with seven European leaders and Zelensky.
