Drawing a Line in the Sky

How to build NATO unity and capability in the face of Russian airspace violations.

French Air Force pilots prepare for a joint mission with Polish F16s at an air base in Minsk Mazowiecki on September 17. October 22, 2025, 10:53 AM Comment icon View Comments ( )

The skies over Eastern Europe have become a testing ground for NATO’s resolve. In September 2025, three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets violated Estonian airspace for 12 minutes—an eternity in military terms. Just days earlier, Russian drones penetrated Polish territory in what officials described as a deliberate provocation. These incidents are not isolated anomalies but part of a disturbing pattern that exposes fundamental challenges facing the alliance as it confronts an increasingly brazen Ru

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