NATO to deploy air defense umbrella in Eastern Europe in response to Russian drones over Poland

NATO will strengthen air defense operations along its eastern flank in response to Russia sending more than a dozen drones into Polish airspace on Wednesday, which prompted the alliance to scramble jet fighters to shoot them down.

On Friday, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and U.S. Air Force Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich, supreme allied commander Europe, announced Operation Eastern Sentry during a press conference at the alliance’s headquarters in Mons, Belgium.

“The violation of Poland’s airspace earlier this week is not an isolated incident and impacts more than just Poland,” Gen. Grynkewich said. “While a full assessment of the incident is ongoing, NATO is not waiting. We are acting.”

The mission will commence in the coming days and last for an undisclosed amount of time, NATO officials said.

Some NATO allies have already announced the deployment of military forces and capabilities to support Operation Eastern Sentry. Denmark will contribute two F-16 jet fighters and a navy frigate that specializes in air defense missions. France will contribute three Dassault Rafale jets, and Germany is providing four Eurofighter Typhoon fighters, officials said.

NATO forces attacked the Russian drone swarm with Dutch F-35 fighters, Polish F-16 jets, an Italian AWACS surveillance aircraft and German Patriot air defense systems. It prompted Poland’s government to invoke Article 4 of the NATO treaty, which calls for a formal discussion among the alliance when a member state is threatened.

NATO officials said it was the first time the alliance confronted a potential threat in its airspace. Mr. Rutte said it was up to Moscow to decide the next step.

“We are a defensive alliance, not an offensive alliance,” he said. “But we will defend this beautiful alliance established in 1949, and we’ll make sure that our 1 billion people stay safe.”

Firing a $500,000 AIM-9 Sidewinder missile to take out an Iranian-built Shahed-136 drone that costs about $20,000 to manufacture is a dilemma that must be solved to make Operation Eastern Sentry cost-effective, Gen. Grynkewich said.

“But when there’s a fighter pilot that’s in the air or someone on the ground who is defending the alliance, I don’t want them thinking about how much their weapons cost,” he said. “I want them defending our citizens.”