RAF jets 'ready to shoot down Russian drones over Poland'

RAF Typhoon jets will be deployed within days to shoot down drones over Poland and other Nato allies in Eastern Europe if necessary, following last week's incursion of 19 uncrewed Russian aircraft into Poland.

- Dan Sabbagh Defence and security editor

The British fighters, based at Coningsby in Lincolnshire, will join Nato's new Eastern Sentry mission working alongside French, German and Danish counterparts who are acting as reinforcements for Dutch F-35s and Polish F-16s.

John Healey, the defence secretary, told the Guardian that "Nato is responding with unity and strength" to the threats, and that Typhoons would be ready to attack Russian drones flying over Nato countries if required to do so.

"If you've got drones that are putting Polish lives at risk, then Nato will take the action to take them out," Healey said on a visit to a planned drone factory in Swindon, saying the Typhoons were part of a broader mission "to defend Nato airspace".

Over the weekend Romania became the second Nato ally in eastern Europe to detect a Russian drone crossing into its airspace in a week, and Healey said that the Typhoons mission would extend operations to the country if deemed necessary.