Russian forays into NATO airspace are causing alarm. Here's why they might be happening

Russian President Vladimir Putin accompanied by Deputy Defence Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, left, and Defence Minister Andrei Belousov, right, inspects Russian weapons and equipment during his visit to the Russian-Belarusian joint military drills "Zapad 2025" (West 2025) at the Mulino training ground in Nizhny Novgorod region, Russia, Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025. (Sergey Bobylev/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)