United Kingdom Defence Secretary John Healy has confirmed that RAF Typhoon jets will be deployed within days to shoot down Russian drones, following incursions into Poland and Romania over the past week.
The fighter jets will fly air defence missions over Poland as part of the military alliance’s mission to bolster the eastern flank.
The Typhoons will operate out of RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire and are expected to start their mission in the coming days, joining Danish F-16s, French Rafales and German Eurofighters.
"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,” Defence Secretary John Healy said.
Healy also described Russia’s actions as “reckless, dangerous and unprecedented”.
While drones and missiles have occasionally veered into countries bordering Ukraine during Russia’s invasion, the incursion into Poland last week was the most serious incident of its kind.
It also marked the first time a NATO member had directly engaged with Russian drones since the war started in February 2022, as all the drones were shot down.
In a separate incident, a Russian drone was said to breach Romanian airspace.
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