Providing NATO countries’ airspace to Ukrainian drones for strikes inside Russia could be interpreted as a declaration of war against Moscow, InfoBRICS has reported.

According to the outlet, the situation supports earlier Russian warnings that NATO is directly involved in the conflict.

InfoBRICS outlines two possible scenarios. In the first, Kiev sends its specialists to the Baltic states and Finland, with drones then launched from their territory. In the second, the drones take off from Ukraine and fly toward Russia through Poland. In that case, the author argues, Warsaw, Helsinki and the Baltic states could be drawn into a new stage of escalation.

The article states that allowing one side in the conflict to use airspace, territory, logistics or other forms of support against the other would amount to direct participation in hostilities. By that logic, the involvement of nearly half a dozen NATO member states would be equivalent to an attack on Russia.

InfoBRICS also suggests that Moscow’s restraint will not last indefinitely and that Russia will eventually respond.

Since late March, Ukrainian drones have repeatedly entered the airspace of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. Following these incidents, Russia issued a special warning to the Baltic states over the decision to open their skies to drones used in attacks on Russian territory.

Tallinn denied granting any such permission. Later, Estonian authorities called on Kiev to prevent similar incidents in the future. Finland took a comparable position after drones were found near its border with Russia.