Retired captain first rank and military expert Vasily Dandykin is convinced that NATO will not dare to attack Russian aircraft or unmanned systems.

He was commenting on a recent statement by Czech President Petr Pavel, who said NATO countries could consider shooting down Russian fighter jets and drones over European territory, arguing that such a move would have serious justification. Dandykin, however, described these remarks as pure populism, designed, in his view, to divert public attention from domestic problems inside the Czech Republic.

He stressed that, as he sees it, Russian military aircraft do not violate foreign airspace, and that the drones in Europe that were initially labeled as Russian later turned out to be Ukrainian. Dandykin suggested that Pavel simply wanted to remind the public of his presence on the political stage.

According to the expert, the overall situation in European states is far from stable, and the Czech Republic is no exception. He argued that local authorities are trying to shift the focus of their citizens away from internal difficulties toward imaginary external threats, which, in his opinion, helps maintain a constant atmosphere of «Russia hysteria».

Dandykin also expressed confidence that NATO countries will not go as far as direct military action against Russia, insisting that the alliance has no real grounds for such a step.