NATO announced plans to beef up the defence of Europe’s eastern flank yesterday, two days after Poland shot down drones that had violated its airspace in the first known action of its kind by a member of the Western alliance during Russia’s war in Ukraine.
At the United Nations, the US called the airspace violations “alarming” and vowed to “defend every inch of Nato territory,” remarks that appeared aimed at assuaging Washington’s Nato allies after President Donald Trump said Russia’s drone incursion could have been a mistake.
Warsaw has portrayed the drone incursions as an attempt by Russia to test the capabilities of Poland and Nato to respond.
Yesterday, Poland rejected Trump’s suggestion that the incursions could have been a mistake, a rare contradiction of the US president from one of Washington’s closest European allies.
Its foreign minister told Reuters Poland hoped Washington will take action to show solidarity with Warsaw.
Later yesterday, the US joined Western allies in a statement to express concern about the drone incursion and to accuse Moscow of violating international law and the founding UN Charter.
Russia said its forces had been attacking Ukraine at the time of the drone incursions and that it had not intended to hit targets in Poland.
Russia’s UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said the maximum range of the drones used did not exceed 700km “which makes it physically impossible for them to have reached Polish territory.”
Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte called the incursions “reckless and unacceptable.”
“We can’t have Russian drones entering allied airspace,” he told a Press conference announcing operation “Eastern Sentry”.
Nato’s top military official, Supreme Allied Commander Europe Alexus Grynkewich, a US Air Force general, said it was a flexible operation to bolster defences along Nato’s entire eastern flank, which stretches from the Baltic states in the north to Romania and Bulgaria in the south.
Grynkewich said “Poland and citizens from across the alliance should be assured by our rapid response earlier this week and our significant announcement here today.”
The mission, which began yesterday evening, will involve a range of assets integrating air and ground bases.
Nato already has substantial forces in eastern Europe, including thousands of troops. It did not specify how many additional troops would be involved in the new operation.
Rutte said allies, including Denmark, France, Britain, and Germany, have committed to the mission with others set to join. He said Nato was still assessing the possible intent behind the Russian incursion.
Nato’s announcement detailed a modest number of additional military assets – including two F-16 fighter jets and a frigate from Denmark, three Rafale fighter jets from France, and four Eurofighter jets from Germany.
Spain said it would provide air assets and Britain said it would detail its contribution soon.
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