News Analysis: Russian Drone Incursion into Poland: A Test of Nato Defences

It also tests Trump's commitment to alliance; goal seems political rather than military

- Jonathan Eyal

LONDON - European governments have pledged new military assistance to Poland after an estimated 24 Russian drones penetrated Polish airspace on Sept 10.

Britain, Denmark, France and Germany are contributing additional fighter jets and other military assets to boost what US Air Force General Alexus Grynkewich, the top commander of the Nato military alliance, calls an "enhanced first line of defence" against further Russian missiles and drones.

Codenamed "Operation Eastern Sentry," Nato's new effort to beef up Poland's defences was formally launched in the early hours of Sept 13.

Mr Mark Rutte - the alliance's secretary-general and political boss - warned that the threat from Russian drones and missiles now covers not only Poland and Europe's eastern approaches, but the entire continent.

"We all live on the eastern flank," Mr Rutte told journalists.

Moscow appears undeterred by these moves. For just as Nato's Eastern Sentry operation began, Russia launched an extensive military exercise on Nato's borders.

Although these manoeuvres were scheduled well before the latest Polish incident, the Russian-led military exercise - held in Belarus, Russia's closest ally and bordering Poland - is codenamed "Zapad," meaning "West" in Russian, and is clearly intended to rehearse Russian plans for potential future incursions into Europe.

Since February 2022, when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, several Russian missiles and drones have landed on the territories of neighbouring states, particularly Poland and Romania, which border Ukraine.

However, such incidents were relatively limited and sparse, so Russian denials of responsibility were at least plausible.

Not so with the latest incident in Poland, where the number of Russian drones violating Polish airspace indicated it was clearly not just a targeting error.