Russian incursions into NATO airspace in 2025
As of Sept. 25, 2025
A choropleth map of Europe and Russia showing Russian incursions into NATO airspace in 2025. As of September, Russia has intruded on the airspace of four NATO nations: Norway, Estonia, Poland and Romania. Denmark shut down airports due to drones, however it’s unconfirmed if the drones were Russian.
Russia
Ukraine
Romania
Poland
Denmark
Drones shut down airports; unconfirmed if Russian
Norway
Estonia
Confirmed Unconfirmed
Map: Kavya Beheraj/Axios
Weeks of Russian incursions into NATO skies have pushed the U.S.-led alliance to the brink of an explosive choice: strike back or stand down.
Why it matters: With peace talks frozen and nuclear threats flying, NATO and Russia are closer to a direct military confrontation than at any point since the Cold War.
President Trump, long reluctant to confront Moscow, stunned allies this week by saying he supports shooting down Russian aircraft if the incursions continue.
The Kremlin’s response was a blunt one: shoot down a Russian jet, and war will follow.
The big picture: NATO officials believe Russia is deliberately testing the alliance’s defenses — and its political will — with a wave of escalating provocations.
Sept. 9-10: Nearly two dozen Russian drones entered Polish airspace, forcing NATO to scramble fighter jets and engage enemy targets in allied airspace for the first time in its history.
Sept. 13: A Russian drone lingered nearly an hour over Romanian territory.
Sept. 19: Three Russian fighter jets flew 12 minutes into Estonian airspace with their transponders off — the most brazen violation yet.
On Thursday, U.S. fighter jets intercepted Russian warplanes near Alaska’s air defense identification zone for the ninth time this year.
Norway reported three separate Russian airspace violations this year — the first incursions in over a decade.
Drone swarms forced multiple airports in Denmark to shut down this week. While the culprit has not yet been named, Denmark’s prime minister declared that a “hybrid war” was underway on European soil.
Zoom in: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told “The Axios Show” on Wednesday night that the “very” weak NATO response had encouraged Putin to probe further.
“They have to shoot down everything,” Zelensky said, concurring with Trump. “If the jets are in your space, you have to block it.”
Zelensky said that not all NATO leaders were afraid to take such action, but most are. The reason, he said, is they think “Russia is crazy” — and “they are right.”
