Germany bolsters air defences on eastern flank following Russian drone incursion

In response to Russia’s recent drone attack on Polish territory, Germany has announced a significant reinforcement of its air defence presence over neighboring countries, including Poland and the Baltic states—Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia.

German Eurofighter jets will intensify their airspace surveillance, enhancing the speed and effectiveness of responses to potential threats, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

Originally scheduled to operate until the end of September, the patrols will now be extended through December. Government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius stated, “In addition to existing commitments in the Baltic states and Poland, the German government will expand and deepen the patrols of the airspace over Poland.”

Alongside increasing Eurofighter deployments from two to four aircraft, Germany is also deploying Patriot missile defence systems and participating in joint patrol flights over the Baltic region.

Germany is concurrently intensifying its support for Ukraine. At the European Union level, the German government aims to expedite the adoption of a new sanctions package against Russia, Kornelius added.

In a related development, France has committed to sending three Rafale fighter jets to Poland to bolster Polish airspace defence, marking a direct response to the drone incursion.

On the night of September 10, Russian drones breached Polish airspace, prompting Polish military forces to launch an operation to neutralize the targets. This marked the first time such drones were shot down over Polish territory. Prime Minister Donald Tusk notified NATO of the incident and indicated that Poland would not impose additional restrictions. The response to the attack will be a key topic at an upcoming NATO meeting.

Tusk reported that approximately four out of nineteen drones entering Polish airspace were successfully shot down. One drone caused damage to a house roof and a car in the village of Vyriki-Volia, with debris scattered across multiple settlements.

The Kremlin has thus far refrained from commenting directly on the incident. However, Russia’s Ministry of Defence claimed that the drones, used in the attack on Ukraine on September 10, had a range of 700 kilometres and allegedly crossed into Polish airspace. The ministry expressed a willingness to hold consultations with the Polish Ministry of Defence regarding the incident.

By Vafa Guliyeva