PARIS — France will send three warplanes to protect Poland’s airspace, President Emmanuel Macron announced Thursday evening.
“Following the Russian drone incursions into Poland, I have decided to deploy three Rafale fighter jets to contribute to the protection of Polish airspace and of NATO’s Eastern Flank together with our allies,” he said.
NATO allies have been on high alert since Warsaw shot down Russian drones violating its airspace in the early hours of Wednesday. The Netherlands, Germany and Italy contributed to the defensive operation.
No French assets initially played a role, but Macron told Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk that Paris would assist in protecting the country’s airspace in the future.
“The security of the European continent is our top priority. We will not yield to Russia’s growing intimidation,” the French leader said, adding that he is in touch with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.
Besides France, other NATO countries are also expected to strengthen air defenses on the alliance’s eastern flank. U.K. Defense Secretary John Healy announced Wednesday he was looking at options for London to do more, while Germany’s defense ministry said Thursday it had reinforced its air defense presence in Poland.
Russia’s drone incursion highlighted flaws in the readiness of Western arsenals to defeat low-cost, mass-produced threats.
Chris Lunday contributed reporting.
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