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NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has warned of an increased chance of an accidental military strike by Russian troops on a neighboring NATO country.
“We are ready to guard and defend every inch of NATO allied territory,” he told reporters on Tuesday. But he warned: “When we see more military action, when we see that the fighting is really taking place near NATO borders, there is always a risk of incidents and accidents.”
“Therefore, we must make every effort to prevent such incidents and accidents, and if they happen, make sure that they do not get out of control and do not create really dangerous situations,” he added.
THE WAR IN UKRAINE CONTINUES: LIVE UPDATES
NATO Secretary Jens Stoltenberg answered journalists’ questions. (NATO)
The Secretary General’s comments come just days after Croatian authorities said a Soviet-era armed drone had crashed near the capital Zagreb after flying over Romania and Famine.
“I can say that we are increasing our vigilance,” Stoltenberg told reporters, adding that preliminary data show that the drone was not in fact loaded with explosives, as the Croatian defense ministry claims.
“We are both increasing the capacity we have to monitor, track and also ensure that we can respond when necessary,” he continued. “If anything, this demonstrates the need to further strengthen integration, further enhance information sharing among allies, and further investment and modernization of everything from radar to our air and missile defense systems.”
Since the invasion began nearly three weeks ago, Russia has fired more than 900 missiles at Ukrainian targets.
Western targets near the Polish border have been hit with increasing frequency, and fears have grown that a misguided missile could hit a NATO country as the fighting continues.
Stoltenberg warned that hundreds of thousands of troops across Europe were on “high alert”, including 100,000 US troops, 40,000 of whom are under direct NATO command.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law that would allow journalists to be sentenced to 15 years in prison for spreading so-called “fake” news about his military invasion of Ukraine. (Yuri Kochetkov/Pool)
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NATO has beefed up its air defenses, and Patriot missile batteries have been redeployed from the US to Poland and Germany. Slovakia is also receiving a missile defense system from the Netherlands, Stoltenberg confirmed.
According to the US Army, Patriot missile batteries are “the only active air defense system that can shoot down attacking missiles.”
Stoltenberg said that the aggressive actions of Russian President Vladimir Putin forced the NATO alliance to reconsider its position in Europe.
Top Defense Department officials, including Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, will meet on Tuesday to discuss security issues in the face of the new Russian threat.
The NATO chief said that the alliance could “substantially” increase the number of troops on its eastern flank, as well as the number of “pre-positioned equipment.”
Civilians prepare Molotov cocktails and train during Russian attacks in Lvov, Ukraine March 8, 2022. (Alejandro Martinez/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
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Stoltenberg urged every NATO nation to increase their military investment and make sure they spend at least 2% of their GDP on defence, a policy enforced within NATO but long ignored by many members of the 30-member alliance.
“President Putin’s brutal invasion of Ukraine brings death and destruction every day,” he said. “It shook the world and it shook the national order.”