Russia has warned NATO countries against tougher military responses after several European states accused Moscow of sending fighter jets and drones into their airspace. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told the UN General Assembly that Russia had no intention of attacking NATO or the European Union but insisted any aggression against Moscow would be met with a strong reply. He added that countries attempting to shoot down Russian aircraft within their airspace would “very much regret it.”
The warning came as NATO weighed the option of downing Russian planes, a move that would significantly raise tensions. US President Donald Trump backed the idea, despite earlier attempts to mend ties with President Vladimir Putin. Trump had even invited Putin to Alaska for talks last month, but has since shifted his stance, urging Ukraine to recover all occupied territories and suggesting possible cross-border action.
Lavrov, however, praised Trump’s approach, noting that the current US administration still shows interest in practical cooperation without being driven by ideology.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed that Israel has supplied Ukraine with a US-made Patriot air defense system. He said the system has been operational for a month and that two more units are expected later this year. Ukraine continues to strengthen its defenses against daily Russian missile and drone strikes targeting critical infrastructure ahead of winter. Israel has resisted calls to provide its Iron Dome system but has now offered limited support through the Patriot batteries.
On the battlefield, Russia claimed new advances in eastern Ukraine with the capture of three villages, while Ukraine reported overnight attacks in the Kherson region that left one dead and 12 injured. The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest, has remained disconnected from the grid for four days, raising fresh concerns. Ukraine blamed Russia for the outage, while the Russian-controlled operator accused Ukrainian strikes.
Zelensky stressed that talks with Putin could only happen if Russia fully respects Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, making it clear that any negotiation must begin with that principle.
