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Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and is published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.
President Emmanuel Macron has announced that he will send three French Rafale fighter jets to help protect Polish airspace following yesterday’s incursion by Russian drones.
Meanwhile, Poland’s defence minister, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, suggested today that the UK is likely to deploy some of its Eurofighter Typhoons to strengthen NATO’s eastern flank.
W związku z wtargnięciem rosyjskich dronów do Polski, podjąłem decyzję o mobilizacji trzech myśliwców Rafale, aby wesprzeć ochronę polskiej przestrzeni powietrznej i wschodniej flanki Europy wraz z naszymi sojusznikami z NATO.
Złożyłem to zobowiązanie…
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) September 11, 2025
“Following the Russian drone incursions into Poland, I have decided to deploy three Rafale fighter jets to contribute to the protection of Polish airspace and of NATO’s Eastern Flank together with our Allies,” wrote Macron on Thursday. “We will not yield to Russia’s growing intimidation.”
On Wednesday, after around 20 drones entered Polish airspace, some of which were shot down, Macron spoke with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutter about the incidents. On Thursday, he also held a call with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
It is “clear that Russia [is] continuing to ramp up its aggression, systematically stepping up its attacks through a campaign of increasingly belligerent actions”, said Starmer afterwards, condemning the “shocking Russian violation of NATO and Poland’s airspace yesterday”.
Addressing Poland’s parliament on Thursday – before Macron had made his announcement – Kosiniak-Kamysz revealed that “both the French and the British are making declarations to secure NATO’s eastern flank in the form of Rafale and Eurofighter aircraft”.
He added that Sweden also “now wants to send their own aircraft, as well as anti-aircraft and anti-missile defence systems, to strengthen allied air defence” and “the Dutch are accelerating the delivery of two of their three Patriot batteries to Poland”.
“Poland has heard many words of solidarity throughout its history, as well as empty gestures. Today we have concrete declarations,” declared Kosiniak-Kamysz, quoted by news website Onet.
On Wednesday, the Czech Republic announced that it was sending a unit of helicopters to Poland to support anti-drone defence. Germany, Finland, Italy and the Baltic states have all declared their readiness to support Poland as well, reports news website Interia.
The Czech Republic is sending a unit of helicopters to Poland to support its air defences after this week’s incursions by Russian drones.
"It is important that the help comes quickly and that we show Russia our unity," says the Czech defence minister https://t.co/yJlB7pBP7k
— Notes from Poland 🇵🇱 (@notesfrompoland) September 11, 2025
Meanwhile, an emergency session of the UN Security Council will be held on Friday at Poland’s request, in order to discuss the drone incursions.
The aim is to “draw the attention of the entire world to this unprecedented attack by Russian drones on a member state not only of the UN, but also of the European Union and NATO”, foreign minister Radosław Sikorski told broadcaster RMF.
Poland has also requested the triggering of Article 4 of the NATO treaty, which would lead the alliance to hold consultations on Russia’s actions and potentially implement a response to them.
Sikorski said that Poland will “demand not only the strengthening of [air-defence] capabilities, including anti-drone capabilities, but also…the imposing of sanctions on Russia and increasing support for Ukraine”.
Following Poland's request, a UN Security Council emergency meeting will be convened regarding the violation of Polish airspace by Russia.
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs 🇵🇱 (@PolandMFA) September 11, 2025
Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.
Main image credit: Jana Skřivánková/Ministerstva obrany ČR
Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland. He has written on Polish affairs for a wide range of publications, including Foreign Policy, POLITICO Europe, EUobserver and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.
