Fighter jets from the UK will join Nato allies in defending Polish airspace after last week’s incursion of Russian drones, the defence secretary has confirmed.
RAF Typhoon jets will fly air defence missions over Poland as part of the military alliance’s mission to bolster the eastern flank.
Other allies including Denmark, Germany and France are already taking part – a jet from the latter was scrambled earlier on Monday in response to another potential incursion by Russian drones. Nato said that alert was quickly over.
Tensions have risen across Europe since Poland accused Russia of the incident, which saw 19 drones enter its territory. Moscow has insisted the incident was not deliberate.
The Typhoons will still operate out of RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire and are expected to start flying missions in the coming days, supported by RAF Voyager air-to-air refuelling aircraft. They will join Danish F-16s, French Rafales and German Eurofighters.
Defence Secretary John Healey said: “The message to Moscow is clear. Putin tested Nato, Nato responded with unity, and the UK will play our full part. When we are threatened, we respond together.”
He also described Russia’s actions as “reckless, dangerous, and unprecedented”.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said Typhoons joining the mission – named Eastern Sentry – was “vital in deterring aggression, securing NATO airspace, and protecting our national security and that of our allies”.
Drones and missiles have occasionally veered into countries bordering Ukraine, including Poland, during Russia’s full-scale invasion – but this was the most serious incident of its kind and the first time a Nato member has directly engaged Russian drones since the war began in February 2022.
Healey said Russia was testing Nato’s air defences, while Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said it was “the closest we have been to open conflict since World War Two”.
In a separate incident on Sunday, Romania – also a Nato member – said a Russian drone had breached its airspace.
Romanian fighter jets were in the air monitoring a Russian attack in Ukraine on Saturday and were able to track the drone near Ukraine’s southern border, the defence ministry said.
The drone later disappeared from the radar and did not pose imminent danger, the ministry added.
Initial indications suggest the drones fired into Polish airspace last week were Gerbera ‘decoy’ drones rather than armed ones. There were no casualties.
The incident led Poland to invoke Nato’s Article 4, which allows member countries to bring any issues of concern – especially related to security – to the North Atlantic Council, the alliance’s main political decision-making body.
Soon after those talks on 10 September, Nato confirmed it would boost defences on its eastern flank.
On other occasions over the past 18 months, the RAF has deployed Typhoons to both Poland and Romania to protect Nato airspace, according to the Ministry of Defence.
