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NATO Defense Ministers to meet in Brussels

25 September 2025 06:46 (UTC +04:00)

On Wednesday, October 15, 2025, a meeting of NATO defense ministers will be held at the Alliance’s headquarters in Brussels, chaired by Secretary General Mark Rutte. The official program for the event has not yet been published; details will be announced closer to the date via the official NATO website, APA reports citing NATO press service.

The exact timing and participants are still being clarified. It is also not yet clear whether Ukraine will be represented. The event takes place amid growing tensions in the airspace of Alliance member countries.

"The operation’s goal is “eliminating specific threats related to the use of drones.” – NATO press service

Context of security challenges: airspace and drones in Europe

Following a series of drone incidents attributed to Russia, pressure on the air borders of NATO member countries is increasing. On September 10, Russian drones violated Polish airspace; some were shot down, debris found in several regions. The government invoked the relevant provisions of the NATO Treaty and expressed readiness to consult.

Moscow denied direct intervention and expressed willingness to engage in dialogue with Warsaw. On September 12, the NATO Secretary General announced the launch of the “Eastern Watch” operation on the eastern flank, aimed at neutralizing threats from the use of drones; the operation covers Poland and Romania.

On September 14, Poland decided to allow NATO forces from member countries to stay on its territory under this operation. On September 13, in northern regions of Romania, an air alert was declared; two F-16 fighters were scrambled and intercepted a Russian drone over the Danube. The Ministry of Defence of Ukraine stressed that the drone did not threaten the civilian population.

In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy stated that the Russian drone had hovered over Romania for about 50 minutes. On September 19, three Russian fighter jets remained in Estonia’s airspace for about 12 minutes, which Estonia described as a violation of territorial integrity and the principles of the UN Charter.

On September 22, an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council was held in New York over violations of Estonia’s airspace by the Russian Aerospace Forces. Foreign Minister of Ukraine Andriy Sigida (Andriy Sigiga) noted that such threats must be neutralized. On September 23, the North Atlantic Council held a meeting under Article 4 of the Washington Treaty to consult and condemn Russia’s violation of Estonia’s airspace on September 19.

In the context of these events, allies continue discussing security measures, including strengthening the readiness of air forces and coordinating actions among NATO member states in response to drone use in the region.

Following the conclusions of discussions in Brussels, allies expect decisions that strengthen collective defense, improve crisis-response capabilities, and enhance mutual information sharing on threats posed by unmanned systems.