Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) observes an exhibition as Presidential Deputy Chief of Workers Sergey Kiriyenko (Kirienko) (R) appears on whereas visiting the All-Russian Scientific Analysis Institute Of Experimental Physics on August 22, 2025 in Sarov, Russia.
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Russia’s suspected drone assaults on Poland are extensively seen as a part of a “salami-slicing” technique designed to check the West’s resolve.
Salami-slicing, in geopolitical phrases, refers back to the technique of taking a collection of incremental steps to additional one’s strategic place, with out frightening a significant counter response.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is claimed to have continuously deployed this tactic to probe NATO’s defensive alliance, with analysts citing the current violation of Estonia’s airspace, the quiet enlargement of Russia’s border additional into Georgia and the invasion of Crimea in 2014.
Moscow’s unprecedented violation of Polish airspace is claimed to be yet one more salami-slicing instance.
Within the early hours of Wednesday, Poland mentioned it scrambled its personal and NATO plane to take down a few of the 19 Russian drones that entered its airspace. It marked the primary such occasion since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Western allies swiftly condemned what they described as a deliberate provocation, whereas Russia’s Protection Ministry mentioned it didn’t plan to assault any targets in Poland.
The Kremlin, in the meantime, has mentioned it will not be making any additional touch upon the scenario, dismissing statements by Poland and different European international locations concerning the drone incursion right into a NATO ally as “nothing new.”
The Russian Embassy in London and Russia’s Overseas Ministry didn’t instantly reply to CNBC’s request for remark.
Benjamin Godwin, accomplice in danger consultancy PRISM Strategic Intelligence, mentioned it has been fairly clear that Russia’s struggle video games technique is to prod, push and take a look at the West.
A part of the issue for NATO, Godwin mentioned, is that it has lengthy been evident that the defensive alliance doesn’t wish to get right into a direct battle with Russia, which in flip, has created an uneven impact for Russia.
“We have seen incursions, for instance into Estonian airspace, clearly this incursion into Poland [and] we have seen digital warfare all throughout Europe,” Godwin advised CNBC’s “Europe Early Version” on Friday.
“So, Russia is ready to type of escalate in these very, as we are saying within the U.Okay., salami-slicing methods and NATO has confirmed incapable up to now in responding in any efficient technique to cease these efforts.”
NATO Secretary Normal Mark Rutte on Wednesday mentioned a full evaluation of Russia’s drone incursion into Poland is ongoing, including that he was “actually impressed” with how allies responded.
Testing techniques
Within the wake of Russia’s drone incursion into Poland, NATO allies have taken steps to bolster defenses on Europe’s jap flank, touted the prospect of additional financial sanctions and convened an emergency U.N. Safety Council assembly for Friday.
Analysts, nonetheless, have recommended that solely a strong political and army response can be sufficient to discourage Putin.
Godwin, as an example, known as on NATO to rethink its defensive posture and the form of property that it deploys on Europe’s jap flank.
Firefighters extinguish a hearth on burning college after Russian drone assault on September 10, 2025 in Kramatorsk, Ukraine.
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Oksana Nechyporenko, a nonresident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Middle, warned that the softer the West’s response to Russia’s violation of Polish airspace, the more durable the following blow can be.
“Ukrainians have been saying for years that Putin is just not solely waging struggle in opposition to Ukraine, however in opposition to the West—Europe particularly,” Nechyporenko mentioned.
“He’s merely testing techniques, all the time utilizing the ‘salami technique’: he tries one thing outrageous, waits for the world’s response, and if there’s none, he pushes additional,” she added.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday supplied an ambiguous response to Russia’s drone incursion into Poland this week.
“What’s with Russia violating Poland’s airspace with drones? Right here we go!” Trump mentioned in a social media submit, with out elaborating any additional.
Trump has beforehand requested the EU to hit China and India with tariffs of as much as 100% over the international locations’ Russian oil purchases, searching for to chop off a significant supply of revenues funding Putin’s struggle machine.
