Russia's ambassador warns NATO downing Russian planes would mean war

PARIS, September 25. /TASS/. Russia’s ambassador to France, Alexey Meshkov, stated that if NATO were to shoot down Russian planes that allegedly violate the airspace of its member countries, it would lead to war. Meshkov made these comments during an interview on RTL radio, emphasizing, "There would be war. What else could there be?"

He noted that numerous planes enter Russian airspace, both accidentally and intentionally, but none have been shot down. "Quite a few planes violate our airspace, accidentally and not accidentally. No one shoots them down," he added.

Meshkov also criticized Europe for not providing "any material evidence" of Russia"s involvement in recent UAV incidents. He remarked, "First of all, we"re not playing games with anyone. Secondly, after the West has deceived us so many times, we believe only the hard facts."

These statements come amid heightened tensions between Russia and NATO, with ongoing discussions regarding airspace violations and military engagements in the region. For related coverage, see recent developments on potential military conflicts.

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