EU Ministers Warn of Russian Sabotage, See No NATO Attack — SkimNews
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- Kaja Kallas warned Russia is escalating sabotage, cyberattacks, drone incursions and airspace violations across Europe "to scare Europe into winding down its support for Ukraine," and called for tougher sanctions on Moscow's "shadow fleet" and military-industrial complex
- Estonian FM Margus Tsahkna said alarmist predictions of an imminent Russian assault on NATO are misplaced, arguing Moscow lacks the capability while its forces remain heavily engaged in Ukraine and that the real goal is "creating fear" and "dividing us"
- Polish FM Radoslaw Sikorski said Russian activity amounts to "actual attacks" — arson, explosions, drone incursions and a deliberate cruise missile violation — and that Polish F-16s are now scrambled "almost every day"
- Poland's Army Operational Command reported on Wednesday, Sep 23, that a Russian Mi-8 helicopter made a brief incursion into Polish airspace from the Kaliningrad exclave
- Romanian FM Oana Toiu said Bucharest has logged over 100 incursions by drones or drone fragments onto its territory as Russia intensified strikes near the Danube and Black Sea; Romania responded by closing Russia's consulate in Constanta
- Lithuanian FM Kestututis Budrys said allied intelligence points to risk of "horizontal" or geographic escalation through attacks on critical infrastructure, warned that "the cold will be weaponized by Russia" this winter, and urged more energy assistance for Ukraine
Why it matters: The ministers' framing establishes a strategic consensus that lets European governments justify sanctions, diplomatic retaliation (Romania's consulate closure) and continued Ukraine aid without triggering emergency military buildup. The operational tempo — over 100 drone incursions into Romania, near-daily F-16 scrambles in Poland, a Sep 23 helicopter incursion from Kaliningrad — shows the hybrid campaign is escalating, not stabilizing, heading into the winter energy-strike season Budrys flagged.
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