Russia Tests NATO«s Capabilities but Avoids Direct Confrontation - Sarts 0 21

He pointed out that the most serious incident was the drone intrusion into Poland and the violation of Estonia's airspace, which lasted for 12 minutes. Russian drones were also recorded at airports in various cities across Europe. According to Sarts, these violations are organized in such a way as to avoid provoking a full-scale NATO response and are aimed at testing the alliance's vulnerabilities.

Sarts noted that through such cautious tests, Russia does not seek to provoke a serious military response; however, if such checks go unaddressed, their intensity may increase. He emphasized that NATO has already adapted its military presence in the region.

He stated that complete protection of airspace from drone incursions is impossible, and such incidents are high-risk situations; however, there is currently no reason to believe that Russia seriously doubts NATO's capabilities. In Sarts' opinion, the main question is whether Russia believes in a unified response from the alliance.

The director of Stratcom also indicated that from a military logic perspective, Russia may have plans to attack NATO countries; however, this is not unusual, as various military scenarios are also considered in the West. This does not mean that Russia intends to implement such plans, as decision-making is also influenced by NATO's readiness to respond, the position of the United States, and other geopolitical factors.

According to Sarts, Russian President Vladimir Putin has not yet sent combat drones to any NATO member country, and the existence of the alliance is only threatened if there is no response to an invasion of any country.

He added that Putin's rhetoric about the absurdity of NATO's attack does not correspond to reality, as Russia continues to test the alliance's capabilities, trying to appear militarily stronger than it actually is.