Several Russian drones crossed into Polish airspace, prompting NATO to act swiftly by deploying fighter jets armed with weapons. Multiple drones were subsequently destroyed by Polish and Dutch aircraft.
Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans said the Russian threat extends beyond Ukraine and poses a wider challenge to Europe. “Rusland neemt meer risico’s en daarmee neemt de dreiging voor het NAVO-grondgebied toe. Nederland kan in de verdediging daarvan een belangrijke rol spelen in NAVO-verband, zoals vannacht is gebleken met de inzet van onze F-35’s. Ik ben trots op de adequate en professionele reactie van onze vliegers.”
Other NATO assets also contributed to the operation. German Patriot missile systems in Poland were put on alert, while an Italian airborne warning aircraft and a Multinational Multi-Role Tanker Transport refuelled the fighter jets in the air.
The deployment highlighted NATO’s capacity and determination to defend its allied territory. Since 1 September, the Netherlands has stationed F-35s in Poland, and while they have previously intercepted Russian projectiles, this was the first time Dutch aircraft have used weapons.
Source: Ministry of Defence of the Netherlands.
