France sends additional fighter jets to defend Poland

French President Emmanuel Macron said he would send three additional “Rafale” fighter jets to defend Polandʼs disputed territory.

Macron wrote about this in X.

"Following the incursion of Russian drones into Poland, I have decided to deploy three ʼRafaleʼ fighter jets to jointly defend Polish airspace and NATOʼs eastern flank with our allies. I made this commitment yesterday to the Polish Prime Minister," Macron wrote.

He added that he had also discussed the issue with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, whose country is also involved in the defense of NATOʼs eastern flank.

• On the night of September 10, Polish airspace was violated by Russian drones during Russiaʼs attack on Ukraine. This was the first time that Polish aviation shot down drones over its territory. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, at least 8 UAVs crossed the state border of Ukraine towards Poland.
• Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that Polish airspace had been violated at least 19 times. For the first time, the drones flew not from Ukraine, "due to mistakes or minor Russian provocations", but from the territory of Belarus. Polish authorities called the incident "an act of aggression".
• Due to the Russian drone incursion into Poland, NATO activated Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty. It stipulates that Alliance member states can initiate consultations when, in their opinion, the territorial integrity, political independence, or security of any member is threatened.

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