Nato announced a new mission on Friday to strengthen its eastern flank after Poland said on Wednesday that 19 Russian drones had entered its airspace in an unprecedented incursion.
Denmark, France and Germany said they would move forces eastward to support Poland, and other allies were expected to join the effort. The moves come amid heightened political tensions across Europe after some of the drones were shot down and others crashed into fields and a house in eastern Poland.
Denmark said it would contribute two F-16 fighter jets and a warship to bolster Polish air defences. France pledged three Rafale fighters and Germany said it would send four Eurofighters, intensify its engagement along Nato's eastern border and extend and expand air policing over Poland. The United Kingdom said it was "fully committed" to strengthening the operation and would provide further details soon.
The Netherlands and the Czech Republic have already said they would send defensive equipment to Poland. Lithuania will host a German brigade and receive enhanced warning measures for potential cross-border attacks on Ukraine, Nato officials said.
At an urgent United Nations Security Council meeting in New York, Poland's Secretary of State Marcin Bosacki displayed photographs of a downed drone and a damaged house and said, "We know — and I repeat — we know that it was not a mistake." Acting U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Dorothy Shea told the council the United States stood by its Nato allies and pledged to "defend every inch of Nato territory." Shea also said Russia had intensified its bombing campaign against Ukraine since a meeting between U.S. and Russian leaders in Alaska nearly a month ago.
The Kremlin said on Friday that talks with Kyiv were on "pause," with spokesman Dmitry Peskov warning that "you can't wear rose-tinted glasses and expect that the negotiation process will yield immediate results." Russia's military said it had "no plans to target facilities" in Poland, but Polish and other European leaders have characterized the cross-border drone flights as deliberate.
Nato officials described the response as a collective step to deter further violations and reassure eastern members of the alliance. The alliance's move to shift fighter jets, troops and defensive assets eastward follows a rapid assessment of the incident and consultations among member states.
The incursion marks a rare direct breach of Nato airspace linked by allies to the wider conflict in Ukraine, prompting renewed discussion in capitals and at Nato headquarters over air policing, force posture and the alliance's rules for collective defence. Further contributions from additional allies were expected to be announced in the coming days as Nato implements the new mission.