France to send Rafale jets to Poland after Russian drones in Polish airspace

France will send three Rafale fighter jets to Poland to reinforce NATO’s eastern defences, following Russian drone incursions that crossed into Polish airspace, President Emmanuel Macron announced on Thursday.

Macron said the decision was made after consultations with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. He stressed that safeguarding Europe’s security remained paramount and vowed that Paris would not bow to Russian intimidation.

“The security of the European continent is our top priority. We will not yield to Russia’s growing intimidation,” Macron wrote on the social media platform X.

Meanwhile outgoing French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said France will summon the Russian ambassador on Friday (12 Sept) over this week's drone incursion into Poland's airspace, which he told France Inter radio was "not an accident".

The announcements come amid heightened tensions after drones launched by Russia during a large-scale strike on western Ukraine crossed into Poland in the early hours on Wednesday. Although Moscow denied any intention of targeting Polish territory, the incident triggered alarm in Warsaw and across the alliance.

Poland has since imposed sweeping restrictions on civilian air traffic along its eastern border with Belarus and Ukraine, while also calling for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council. The Polish government said it was working closely with NATO partners to strengthen coordination and bolster its defensive posture.

Germany also pledged to expand its support for Poland, signalling a broader allied effort to shield NATO’s eastern frontier against the fallout of Russia’s war in Ukraine.

The deployment of French jets underscores a renewed commitment among European allies to deter further Russian aggression and to demonstrate collective resolve in defending NATO territory.

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