Russia has violated the sovereign territory of at least 11 countries since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, according to documented incidents involving Russian jets, drones, and missiles entering foreign airspace.
The violations have targeted several NATO member states, testing the alliance's collective defence principle under Article 5, which states that an attack on one member is considered an attack on all. These incursions have raised questions about how far NATO can be pushed before the clause is invoked.
Incursions Into NATO Member States
Romania has experienced the highest number of reported incidents since 2023, with at least 70 violations. The most serious was the crash of a Russian drone into an apartment building in Galați, Romania's eighth largest city, which injured two civilians and caused significant material damage. On July 24, 2024, air raid sirens were triggered along the border with Ukraine in Romania's Tulcea district, with the RO-alert system warning residents about drones in the airspace.
Poland reported a Russian cruise missile violating its airspace near Oserdow in March 2024. The missile remained in Polish airspace for 39 seconds before turning back into Ukraine. "Polish airspace was violated at 04:23 by one of the cruise missiles launched by Russian long-range aircraft tonight. They were targeting cities in Ukraine's west," Polish Operational Command said. Poland scrambled fighter jets in response.
Other Incidents Across the Region
In December 2025, a Turkish Air Force F-16 shot down an out-of-control drone over the Black Sea near Çankırı after it entered Turkish airspace. Two other drones were found crashed on 19 and 20 December in Kocaeli and Balıkesir, respectively. Turkey's interior minister identified the drone found at Kocaeli as a Russian-made Orlan-10.
Finland reported a Russian aircraft entering its airspace in the Gulf of Finland in June 2024. Finnish authorities said the jet remained in its airspace for two minutes, reaching 2.5 kilometres into the border. They later confirmed the "violation is suspected to have occurred by a four-plane division, which included two bomber and two fighter-class aircraft."
These documented cases represent a snapshot of the incursions confirmed in recent years, highlighting the ongoing strain on international relations and the repeated testing of NATO's defensive commitments.
