British premier says UK will deploy RAF jets to Poland in wake of Russian drone incursion

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

GENEVA (AA) - Britain will deploy Royal Air Force jets to Poland after what Prime Minister Keir Starmer called an "unprecedented" violation by Russian drones in the country.

Speaking to Channel 4 News on Monday, Starmer said the UK would provide "further air defense over Poland" following last week's incident in which NATO forces shot down multiple Russian drones.

"That is the right thing to do. The wrong thing to do would be to ignore this increased aggression from (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, from Russia," he said.

Typhoon jets from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire will join NATO's Eastern Sentry mission, flying alongside aircraft from Denmark, France, and Germany. A Voyager air-to-air refueling aircraft from RAF Brize Norton will support the deployment.

"It's absolutely clear that the Russians are upping the aggression, and it's very important that with our NATO allies, we respond appropriately to that, and that's what we're doing today," he concluded.

This move came days after, what the UK described as "a reckless and dangerous incursion" by Russian drones into Poland’s sovereign airspace and a further breach of Romanian airspace by a Russian drone over the weekend.

Russia has denied both incursions.