Czech President Pavel says NATO may shoot down drones testing alliance readiness

September 25, 2026 at 04:34 PM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Czech President Petr Pavel said NATO may have to shoot down aircraft and drones that test the alliance's readiness. He made the remarks to Fox News Digital on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. Pavel, a retired general and former head of NATO's Military Committee, said the alliance risks sending the wrong signal by avoiding escalation.

Key Facts

Czech President Petr Pavel made the remarks in an interview with Fox News Digital on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
Pavel is a retired general and former head of NATO's Military Committee.
Pavel called Russia a "direct threat to European security" in his address to the UN General Assembly.
EU and NATO leaders are preparing a long-term and sustainable response to the drone incident in Leipzig, for which Berlin holds Moscow responsible.
The situation at Leipzig airport had a "very, very serious impact" on EU and NATO capitals, according to a source cited by the Financial Times.

Pavel's Statement

Czech President Petr Pavel said NATO may have to shoot down aircraft and drones that test the alliance's readiness. "Perhaps the time will come when we will have to shoot down some of these aircraft or unmanned aerial vehicles that are testing our readiness," Pavel told Fox News Digital on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. Pavel, a retired general and former head of NATO's Military Committee, said alliance countries seek to avoid escalation but risk sending the wrong signal. In his address to the UN General Assembly, the Czech leader called Russia a "direct threat to European security." Pavel also said Moscow "respects strength" and perceives Western restraint as weakness, according to a translation of his interview cited by Izvestia.

Leipzig Drone Incident Response

EU and NATO leaders are preparing a long-term and sustainable response to the drone incident in Leipzig, for which Berlin holds Moscow responsible. The situation at Leipzig airport had a "very, very serious impact" on EU and NATO capitals, a source told the Financial Times. Discussions are underway on options for preparing retaliatory measures, according to the source.