British fighters again scramble overnight to defend Poland

Late Monday night, Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jets were again deployed to conduct air defence patrols over eastern Poland, marking just one of many short-notice sorties under NATO’s Eastern Sentry framework in recent weeks.

According to flight tracking data, Typhoons and a Voyager tanker launched from RAF Coningsby before flying east to reinforce NATO’s eastern flank amid previous Russian airspace incursions near the borders of Poland and the Baltic states.

The aircraft remained on station for several hours before returning to the UK in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

NATO officials confirmed that the mission formed part of the alliance’s ongoing measures to deter further violations following a series of Russian manoeuvres along the frontier, including drone crossings into Polish territory and close intercepts over the Baltic.

The renewed patrols follow a similar deployment last week after Russian MiG-31s entered Estonian airspace in what Tallinn described as an “unprecedentedly brazen” incursion.

The UK’s latest sortie underscores a sustained readiness to reinforce allies at short notice. Under Eastern Sentry, the alliance has positioned a multinational quick reaction force across the region, with Germany, Denmark, France and the United States among those contributing aircraft and crews.

The repeated launches reflect NATO’s growing emphasis on rapid deterrence and visible presence along its eastern frontier.