‘Vital in deterring aggression’: UK fighter jets to patrol Polish skies Under Nato mission after Russian drone incursions

British Typhoon fighter jets will fly air defence missions over Poland as part of Nato’s newly launched Eastern Sentry mission, the UK government confirmed on Monday

The move comes in response to last week’s reported Russian drone incursion into Polish airspace.

According to _The Guardian r_eport, the UK’s Ministry of Defence said the Typhoons will operate out of RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire and will be supported by RAF Voyager air-to-air refuelling aircraft.

“British fighter jets will fly air defence missions over Poland to counter aerial threats from Russia, including drones, as part of Nato’s Eastern Sentry mission,” the ministry said in a statement, adding the missions by RAF Typhoons will start “in the coming days”.

The UK jets will join allied forces from Denmark, France, and Germany in patrolling Nato airspace over Poland, added the report.

Until July, six UK Typhoons had been stationed in Poland as part of Nato’s earlier air policing deployment. The new mission represents a step-up in Nato’s eastern deterrence strategy amid heightened regional tensions, reported The Guardian.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer underscored the significance of the deployment, saying, “These aircraft are not just a show of strength, they are vital in deterring aggression, securing Nato airspace, and protecting our national security and that of our allies,” Starmer was quoted as saying

Condemning Moscow’s actions, Starmer further said, “Russia’s reckless behaviour is a direct threat to European security and a violation of international law, which is why the UK will support NATO’s efforts to bolster its eastern flank through Eastern Sentry.”

The Eastern Sentry mission is Nato’s latest effort to reinforce deterrence along its eastern borders in light of continuing security threats posed by Russian military activities.

On Friday, Nato chief Mark Rutte had confirmed that the alliance will strengthen its eastern defences following a series of Russian drone incursions into allied airspace, marking the first such incidents since the war in Ukraine began over three years ago.

Last week, Poland and its Nato partners scrambled fighter jets in response to Russian drones entering their airspace, triggering a major alert along the eastern flank.

A day later, Romania became the latest Nato member to report a similar drone breach, while Poland again launched aircraft after fresh Russian drone strikes near the Ukrainian border.

In response, Nato members including France and Germany have committed to deploying additional fighter jets to Poland. Denmark will also join the air patrol operations, Nato chief Rutte confirmed.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that Russia is intentionally escalating its drone operations, potentially expanding the conflict zone and testing Nato’s resolve.

The UK on Monday summoned the Russian ambassador to London, with the foreign ministry saying the “significant and unprecedented violation of Polish and Nato airspace by Russian drones … was utterly unacceptable”.

With inputs from agencies