Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev has once again issued a firm warning to the Western military alliance backing Kiev, saying that if NATO countries begin shooting down Russian drones over Ukraine during the 'special military operation', this will put Moscow at war with NATO.

The words come dangerously after the last week has seen Russian drones allegedly breach Polish and Romanian airspace - both NATO member's along the alliance's 'eastern flank'. Moscow has rejected accusations that it intentionally sent these drones, which were by and large 'decoy' UAVs amid broader drone waves targeting inside Ukraine.

"Seriously, implementing the provocative idea of Kiev and other idiots to create a 'no-fly zone over Ukraine' and allowing NATO countries to down our drones will mean only one thing: NATO's war with Russia," Medvedev wrote on Telegram Monday.

He additionally remarked the "powerful European initiative ‘Eastern Sentry’" amuses him as it "seems to be all that remains of the ‘coalition of the willing’."

Over the weekend, a pair of Russian drones were observed and tracked in Romania's airspace, near Ukraine's southern border, the Romanian military said. A pair of F-16s were scrambled, but the pilots refrained from firing on them and they exited back to Ukraine territory.

The former Russian president also made comments aimed at Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur. He is visiting Ukraine. "An Estonian defense minister has arrived in Kiev. He is threatening. The smaller the country, the more aggressive and foolish its leaders tend to be," Medvedev noted.

All the while, Ukraine has continued its cross-border drone attacks on Russian territory. Belgorod oblast authorities said two women in a village near the border with Ukraine were killed in such an attack Monday morning.

Three other people were injured and a vehicle was destroyed, following a night where anti-air defenses were able to intercept six of the inbound drone wave.

The hawks keep pushing for more muscle and present delusional views on the current status of the conflict...

Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov in fresh remarks Monday painted a picture of NATO and Russia already being in a de facto state of war.

"NATO is at war with Russia. It is obvious and does not require any additional proof," he told a press briefing. "NATO is de facto involved in this war. NATO provides both indirect and direct support to the Kiev regime. Therefore, it can be said with absolute certainty that NATO is at war with Russia."