German military chief vows to defend 'every inch' of NATO territory

The German military's inspector general, Carsten Breuer, has reaffirmed Germany's determination to protect NATO allies in the east during a visit to a major military exercise in Lithuania on Friday.

The defence chief's remarks followed a Russian attack on Ukraine this week, during which Poland said 19 Russian drones intentionally entered its airspace.

The activity led to a scramble by the Polish Air Force and NATO allies to shoot down the unmanned aircraft. It was the first time Russian drones had been taken down over NATO territory.

"The recent violation of Polish airspace by Russia has once again shown how important our engagement is. Our contribution to defending NATO’s eastern flank is reliable – we are ready to protect every inch of alliance territory," Breuer told dpa.

The German government said on Thursday that the Bundeswehr would "extend and expand" air policing over Poland as part of European efforts to boost the security of NATO's eastern flank.

Breuer emphasized that the ongoing German-led Quadriga 2025 exercises in the Baltic region include realistic logistical support scenarios for troops in a potential conflict, marking the first time such a manoeuvre has been conducted on such a scale.

Earlier on Friday, Belarus and Russia launched their own exercise, Zapad 2025 (West 2025), with drills taking place on training grounds in both countries as well as the Baltic and Barents Seas.