Majority of Germans fear Russian attack on NATO, survey finds

A majority of Germans are concerned about a potential Russian attack on a NATO country following drone intrusions into Polish airspace, a survey published on Sunday has found.

According to a poll conducted by the Insa institute for the Bild newspaper, 62% of the 1,002 respondents said they fear an attack on NATO countries such as Poland or Lithuania, while 28% did not and 10% were unsure.

The concern comes after a Russian attack on Ukraine earlier this week saw a number of drones enter Polish - and thus NATO - airspace. The Polish Air Force, supported by other NATO forces, shot down several of the drones for the first time.

Military circles consider it unlikely that the drones' entry was accidental. It remains unclear whether the drones were programmed to strike targets on NATO territory or were intended merely as a provocation or a test of NATO's air defences.

The survey also found that a majority of Germans support tougher economic measures against Russia. Some 49% said all gas and oil deliveries from Russia to the European Union should be stopped immediately, while 33% favoured continuing supplies, 11% were unsure and 7% said it did not matter.

In addition, 51% of respondents said that frozen Russian assets in the EU should be used to support Ukraine, while 29% were opposed and 20% were unsure or had no opinion.