British fighter jets take off to patrol Polish skies for the first time

Two British fighter jets have made their first sortie to defend Poland after a Russian drone invaded the country's airspace on September 10. This was reported by Sky news.

The flight was part of NATO's Operation Eastern Sentinel, which was launched to strengthen Europe's eastern flank after the incident with Russian drones in Poland.

Two Typhoon fighter jets, supported by a Royal Air Force Voyager refueling aircraft, were deployed to patrol the skies of Poland. They took off from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire on the evening of September 19 and returned on the morning of September 20 .

British Defense Minister John Healey said the mission sends a clear message that NATO airspace will be protected.

"I am proud of the outstanding British pilots and crew who took part in this successful operation to protect our allies from reckless Russian aggression," he said .

And the head of the Royal Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Harv Smith, said that the flight marked the first operational mission of the Royal Air Force at Eastern Sentry, which confirms Britain's continued commitment to NATO and its allies.

"We remain flexible, integrated and ready to apply air power over long distances," he said .

• on September 18, at night in Poland, increased activity of Belarusian and Russian drones was recorded.
• On September 19, Russian fighters violated the security zone of a Polish company's drilling platform in the Baltic.
• On the same day, Russian MiG-31 violated Estonian airspace near the capital. Trump says this could be a "big problem".