On Sunday 14 September, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas condemned the previous day’s violation of Romanian airspace by a Russian drone during an attack on infrastructure in Ukraine. Romania has already experienced other violations of its airspace since the start of the war, as have Poland and the Baltic States.
This violation “is yet another unacceptable breach of an EU Member State’s sovereignty. This continued reckless escalation threatens regional security”, Ms Kallas stressed on X. She said she was in close contact with the Romanian government.
NATO launches ‘Eastern Sentry’. At a press conference on Friday, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned that the September 10 attack on Poland was not an isolated incident, and announced the launch of ‘Eastern Sentry’ to strengthen the Alliance’s posture along its eastern flank (see EUROPE 13707/16).
According to the Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Alexus G. Grynkewich, the operation will cover the entire eastern flank of the Alliance, from the far north to the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, wherever there is a perceived Russian threat.
This multi-domain activity, which will begin in the next few days and continue indefinitely, “will deliver even more focused and flexible deterrence and defence where and when needed”, explained Mr Grynkewich alongside Mr Rutte. “We’ll constantly adjust and change our posture in a manner that keeps the adversary off guard, but also responds to specific threats as we see them emerging”, he added.
According to the Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Eastern Sentry will integrate air and ground defences and enhance information sharing between nations. The Supreme Allied Commander Transformation will also be called upon to experiment with and rapidly deploy new technologies, such as sensors and anti-drone weapons.
Several Allies have already begun to announce the deployment of forces and capabilities. Denmark will supply two F-16s and an anti-aircraft frigate, France three Rafales and Germany four Eurofighters. The UK has also expressed its willingness to support these forces. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)