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Costly or Not, NATO Says Protecting Citizens Comes First in Drone Defense Effort
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![Photo of Roman Kohanets]( "Photo of Roman Kohanets")
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NATO has defended the use of high-value air defense systems to intercept much cheaper Russian drones, stressing that protecting allied populations is more important than financial considerations. This was reported by Radio Svoboda on September 12.
Speaking during the launch of the “Eastern Sentry” mission, NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, said he considers the operation successful in neutralizing Russian drones.
The new mission, announced by Secretary General Mark Rutte, is aimed at reinforcing the alliance’s eastern flank following multiple drone incursions into Polish airspace. Rutte described the initiative as a clear demonstration of unity and deterrence, confirming that additional land forces will be positioned in eight NATO countries, supported by stronger integration of air and ground defenses.
Grynkewich highlighted that “Eastern Sentry” seeks both to meet immediate security demands and to develop more affordable means of countering drone threats.
“Involving additional resources to solve this problem will help resolve it. That is why we are starting this operation [Eastern Sentry]. The effort is aimed at getting cheaper weapons that we can use for self-defense. I will make one last comment: when a fighter pilot is in the air or someone is on the ground defending the alliance, I don’t want them to think about how much their weapon costs. I want them to defend our citizens,” he said.
Earlier, it was reported that NATO launched Operation “Eastern Sentry” to strengthen its eastern flank in response to Russian drone violations of Polish airspace.
