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According to the FT, NATO members have less than 5% of the air defenses needed to protect Central and Eastern Europe.
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A NATO official said their air defense supplies “have been reduced.”
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Putin hinted on Tuesday that he might attack NATO members who call for Ukrainian attacks on Russia.
Central and Eastern European countries could be vulnerable during an invasion due to NATO’s weak air defenses, a new report from the Financial Times has found.
Members of the military alliance have only less than 5% of the air defense capabilities needed to protect those regions from attack, the FT reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with NATO’s defense plans.
When asked about the report, a NATO official told the FT that its “capability targets and defense plans are secret,” but noted that its air defense stocks “have been reduced.”
“NATO’s new defense plans also significantly increase air and missile defense requirements in terms of quantity and readiness,” the official told the newspaper.
The official added that the organization is confident that its deterrent against Russia “remains strong.”
NATO representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI sent outside regular business hours.
The FT’s report comes amid heightened concerns that NATO could go to war with Russia after its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
In February, Estonia’s foreign intelligence service said it expected a “significant increase in Russian forces near the Estonian border in the coming years.”
“The Kremlin is likely anticipating a possible conflict with NATO within the next decade,” the intelligence agency said.
On Tuesday, Russian leader Vladimir Putin hinted that Russia could retaliate against European countries that call on Ukraine to attack Russia directly.
“So these officials from NATO countries, especially those in Europe, especially in small European countries, must be fully aware of what is at stake,” Putin told reporters.
“They should keep in mind that these are small and densely populated countries, which is a factor to take into account before they start talking about an attack deep into Russian territory,” he said. “This endless escalation could lead to serious consequences.”
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