By Rory Gannon

Copyright dailystar

Russia has warned NATO that there “would be war” if any nation in the alliance struck down a Russian plane. It comes following a host of incursions of Russian drones and jets into NATO airspace. Tensions are rising between NATO and Russia , as Moscow continues to threaten all-out war, raising fears of a potential Third World War . Now, pro-Kremlin diplomats are urging NATO members not to impact Russian planes. The comments come after Poland, Estonia and Denmark all had their own individual incursions into their territory by Russian drones or jets. NATO leaders have met following these incursions and urged they will work together to stave off Russian aggression, as Vladimir Putin and his cronies continue to make threats. Now, Russia’s ambassador to France has told NATO to avoid striking down any Russian-marked planes that enter their territory. Such a shooting down would be seen in the Kremlin’s eyes as declaration of war between the two military powers. The Kyiv Independent reported that Alexey Meshkov told reporters: “You know, there are many NATO planes that violate Russian airspace, deliberately or not, but it happens quite often. They are not shot down afterward,” he said, without giving a clear example. His comments come after US President Donald Trump said he would have no problem with NATO nations shooting down Russian planes incurring their airspace. It also came after speaking with Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Trump insisted Kyiv could restore its original borders, including the Donbass and Crimea. In recent weeks, the Russian military have become a focus for Western nations, after Polish air defence forces shot down at least three drones from Moscow that had crossed into its airspace. Estonia also reported that it had three Russian fighter jets enter its airspace in a huge escalation of rhetoric and tensions. Not even Britain has been spared Russian interference, as on Thursday (September 25), Russian warships were seen entering British waters. This created a standoff between the two nations as Britain warned of serious consequences if Russia continued to send it vessels through British territory. The Navy was eventually drafted in to keep a close eye on a Russian navy vessel as it slowly helped a freight tanker through the North Sea and into the English Channel. Things became so tense that the HMS Iron Duke — one of the Navy’s most impressive ships had to be drafted to ensure no funny business. As a result of the passing, this now marks the 18th time that a Type 23 frigate — similar to that of HMS Iron Duke — has had to be deployed to monitor Russian vessels in the past year. In a statement, the Navy warned of an increasing number of Russian ships using British waters as a way to pass through. “Russian warships are increasingly transiting through the English Channel,” Defence Minister Luke Pollard said. “The Royal Navy protects the UK 24/7 to monitor Russian movements, ensuring the security of our waters and undersea cables. “Alongside our commitment to NATO’s Eastern Sentry, this is a clear demonstration of how the UK stands firm with our NATO allies to deter Russian aggression,” he added. Russia has strongly denied deliberately sending drones, jets and ships into NATO territory as a form of provocation. For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters .