U.K. summons Russian ambassador after drones breach NATO airspace; sends jets to Poland

LONDON — Britain on Monday, Sept. 15, 2025, summoned the Russian ambassador and announced it will deploy Royal Air Force fighter jets to help defend Polish airspace after what the Foreign Office described as an "unprecedented violation" of NATO airspace by Russian drones.

The Foreign Office said multiple Russian drones crossed into Poland last week and that a separate incursion into Romanian airspace on Saturday was "utterly unacceptable." "Russia should understand that its continued aggression only strengthens the unity between NATO allies and our determination to stand with Ukraine, and any further incursions will again be met with force," the ministry said.

European officials said the incidents began on Wednesday when a number of drones crossed into Polish airspace in what they described as a deliberate provocation; NATO scrambled fighter jets and reported shooting some of the unmanned aircraft down. Moscow denied targeting Poland, and Belarus, a Russian ally, said the drones strayed off course after being jammed. European leaders expressed certainty the incursions were deliberate and said the scale of the Poland violations surpassed previous airspace breaches since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Britain's Defense Ministry said the RAF Typhoon jets will join aircraft from Denmark, France and Germany in a mission called Eastern Sentry, which bolsters air policing along NATO's eastern flank with additional fighter jets, a warship, air defense systems and existing ground defenses. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Russia's actions constitute "a direct threat to European security and a violation of international law," and reiterated the U.K.'s support for NATO efforts to strengthen protection of allied airspace.

Romania's defense ministry said it dispatched two F-16 jets on Saturday to intercept a drone that briefly entered Romanian airspace; it reported the unmanned aircraft did not fly over inhabited areas and posed no imminent danger to the public. NATO has not publicly attributed the incursions to a specific command, but allied officials have framed the incidents as part of broader concerns about the geographic and operational expansion of Russia's war in Ukraine.

The U.K. summoned Russian Ambassador Andrei Kelin to convey its protest and to demand Moscow end what the Foreign Office called an "illegal war on Ukraine." The summons comes amid heightened tensions in Europe over cross-border incidents tied to the conflict in Ukraine and as NATO continues to reinforce forward defenses to deter spillover into allied territory.

Allied responses have focused on deterrence and collective defense measures rather than immediate escalation. Eastern Sentry and similar deployments are intended to reassure NATO members in eastern Europe and to provide integrated air and maritime surveillance and protection. Officials said any further incursions would be met with force under NATO's collective defense posture.

The incidents mark one of the most serious violations of NATO airspace since the 2022 invasion and have renewed debate among allies about the resilience of air defenses, intelligence sharing and rules of engagement for unmanned systems. London, Warsaw and Bucharest have called for sustained allied presence and coordination to prevent similar breaches and to protect civilian populations and critical infrastructure.

Diplomatic channels remain active as allies press Moscow for explanations and consider how to adjust deterrence measures while maintaining NATO's defensive posture. The U.K. and other NATO members said they will continue to coordinate closely with Poland, Romania and other allies to monitor and respond to airspace threats.