RAF jets have flown an air defence mission above Poland, after Russian drones crossed the border and were shot down.
The Ministry of Defence said it was to strengthen Nato’s defences on its eastern flank following the ‘reckless’ drone incursion on September 9, when 19 drones flew over the border from Belarus.
It marked the first time since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022 that Nato had directly engaged with Russian assets, with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk calling it ‘the closest we have been to open conflict since World War Two’.
In this weekend’s RAF mission in response, two British fighter jets took off from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire on Friday night, supported by an RAF Voyager aircraft.
They returned to the UK early on Saturday morning after the mission ‘to patrol Polish skies and deter and defend against aerial threats from Russia’.
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Defence Secretary, John Healey MP, said: ‘RAF Typhoons have now flown their first air defence mission over Poland, sending a clear signal: NATO airspace will be defended.
‘I’m proud of the outstanding British pilots and air crew who took part in this successful operation to defend our Allies from reckless Russian aggression.
‘This weekend, as we honour the heroism of the Battle of Britain generation, it is especially poignant that RAF pilots and crew are once again standing shoulder to shoulder with Poland in defence of our shared security – making us secure at home and strong abroad.’
Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Harv Smyth, said: ‘Our partnership with NATO has never been stronger. This sortie marks the RAF’s first operational mission on Eastern Sentry, reinforcing the UK’s steadfast commitment to NATO and its allies.
‘RAF Typhoons, supported by Voyager air-air refuelling aircraft, joined allies along the eastern flank to bolster NATO’s defence and deterrence.
‘We remain agile, integrated, and ready to project airpower at range.’
The UK’s mission over Poland comes amid heightened tensions elsewhere in Europe, with Estonia saying on Friday that three Russian military jets violated its airspace for 12 minutes in an ‘unprecedentedly brazen’ incursion.
Healey condemned the ‘latest reckless and dangerous activity’ calling it ‘the third violation of NATO airspace in recent days’.
Russia denied its jets violated Estonian airspace, saying they flew over neutral waters.
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