UK vows to shoot down Russian drones as RAF jets patrol Poland border

Britain said its Typhoon fighters would target Russian drones that intrude into NATO airspace as two RAF aircraft were deployed to patrol Poland's eastern border this weekend. Defence Secretary John Healey described the move as a firm message to Moscow and said the aircraft are ready to act should drones breach NATO airspace, adding Britain will not be cowed.

Drones have twice this month penetrated more than 100 miles into Poland's airspace, triggering alerts along NATO's eastern flank. In a related escalation, three MiG-31 warplanes were observed near Estonia before Italian F-35s intercepted them; Moscow denied crossing Estonian airspace, but Healey said both fighter jets and drones had violated NATO airspace in what he called reckless, dangerous actions. The episode prompted Estonia and Poland to invoke NATO's Article 4 for consultations on collective defence.

Two Typhoons left RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire on Friday and returned the following morning, marking their first sortie as part of NATO's Eastern Sentry operation. The deployment coincides with the 85th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, and Healey said the RAF's aircrews were standing shoulder to shoulder with Poland in defence of shared security. The Ministry of Defence said the two Typhoons had returned safely yesterday morning.

On Friday evening, U.S. President Donald Trump responded to the incursion by warning of big trouble ahead, while Ukrainian officials said Moscow continued its missile and drone campaign across Ukraine, including in Kyiv, Odesa and Kharkiv, with casualties reported. President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Moscow of a deliberate strategy to intimidate civilians and destroy infrastructure.

Estonia's invocation of Article 4 and Poland's earlier invocation reflect heightened NATO caution and the alliance's willingness to convene on collective defence amid Russia's broader campaign against Ukraine.