NATO has announced a new initiative to bolster the security of its Eastern Europe members in the wake of Russia’s violation of Polish airspace.
“NATO is launching Eastern Sentry to bolster our posture even further along our eastern flank,” Secretary-General Mark Rutte said on Friday in Brussels during a joint news conference with NATO’s top commander in Europe, US General Alexus Grynkewich.
“This military activity will commence in the coming days and will involve a range of assets from allies, including Denmark, France, United Kingdom, Germany,” Rutte added.
The announcement comes after multiple Russian drones crossed into Poland on Wednesday, prompting NATO to send fighter jets to shoot them down and underlining long-held concerns about Russia’s three-year war in neighbouring Ukraine expanding.
Today we announce the launch of “Eastern Sentry” to bolster our posture even further along our eastern flank.
This military activity will involve a range of assets from Allies.
Eastern Sentry will make clear that #NATO is always ready to defend. pic.twitter.com/fcdjdnHX5w
— Mark Rutte (@SecGenNATO) September 12, 2025
NATO is still assessing whether Russia intentionally violated Poland’s airspace, Rutte said, but repeated that, either way, “it is reckless. It is unacceptable”.
“Although the immediacy of our focus is on Poland, this situation transcends the borders of one nation. What affects one ally affects us all,” Grynkewich said.
“Eastern Sentry will be flexible and agile, delivering even more focused deterrence and defence exactly when and where needed,” he added.
Russia said its forces had been attacking Ukraine at the time of the drone incursions and had not intended to hit any targets in Poland.
More allies to join
The new NATO mission, which begins on Friday evening, will involve a range of assets integrating air and ground bases.
Allies, including Denmark, France, the UK and Germany, have so far committed to the mission with others set to join, Rutte said.
Earlier on Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron said he would deploy three Rafale fighters to Poland.
“The security of the European continent is our top priority. We will not yield to Russia’s growing intimidation,” Macron posted on X.
The United Nations Security Council met for an emergency session on Friday to discuss the incident at Poland’s request.
Poland’s Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz thanked NATO for its “decisive action and decisions in response to Russia’s aggressive policy”.
The new deployment was “not only a strategic decision” but “an expression of responsibility for the security of the entire eastern flank of the alliance”, he added.
US, allies call out Russia
Washington, together with its Western allies, expressed concern about Russia’s drone incursion and accused Moscow of violating international law and the founding UN Charter.
A joint statement on Friday, read by Poland’s Secretary of State Marcin Bosacki before the UNSC meeting, also called on Russia to stop “its war of aggression against Ukraine” and desist from further provocations. The statement was backed by 43 countries.
In addition, the US told the council it would “defend every inch of NATO territory” after the suspected Russian drone incursion into Poland.
“The United States stands by our NATO allies in the face of these alarming airspace violations,” acting US ambassador to the UN Dorothy Shea told the 15-member body.
Shea also noted Russia had intensified its bombing campaign against Ukraine since President Donald Trump met with Russia’s Vladimir Putin in Alaska as part of his bid to broker an end to Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
“These actions, now with the addition of violating the airspace of a US ally – intentionally or otherwise – show immense disrespect for good-faith US efforts to bring an end to this conflict,” she said.
The remarks by Shea and the joint statement came one day after Trump said Russia’s drone incursion could have been a mistake. In response, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk posted on X: “We would also wish that the drone attack on Poland was a mistake. But it wasn’t. And we know it.”
Meanwhile, Russia’s UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told the council that “there were no targets marked on Polish territory”.
“The maximum range of the drones used in this strike did not exceed 700km, which makes it physically impossible for them to have reached Polish territory,” he claimed.
Poland’s Bosacki, however, said the incursion was “no mistake”. He showed photos of a downed drone, pointing out Russian lettering on parts of it. “Poland will not be intimidated.”
