President Karol Nawrocki has authorized the deployment of NATO forces in Poland as part of the alliance's response to recent Russian drone incursions into Polish airspace. The National Security Bureau announced Sunday that the president signed a resolution permitting foreign NATO forces to reinforce Poland under Operation Eastern Sentry.
The operation, announced Friday, aims to strengthen NATO's eastern flank and enhance air defenses following this week's violation of Polish airspace by approximately 20 Russian drones. The presidential resolution remains classified, with no further details provided about the deployment.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed France will contribute three Rafale fighter jets, Germany four Eurofighters, and Denmark two F-16s plus an anti-air warfare frigate. The Netherlands is accelerating its Patriot air defense system deployment to Poland, while the Czech Republic has sent a helicopter unit.
Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz welcomed NATO's "tough, clear response," describing Eastern Sentry as potentially "one of the largest in NATO's history." The mission will establish multi-layered air defense against various threats including drones, missiles, and aircraft.
Eight NATO members have already committed to joining the operation, with others preparing to do so. Poland already hosts approximately 10,000 US troops along with Dutch F-35s and German Patriot systems.
The drone incursions, occurring Tuesday night into Wednesday, marked the first time NATO has had to defend its airspace in this manner. Poland condemned the incident as an "unprecedented act of aggression" and intends to invoke NATO's Article 4 for allied consultations.
While Rutte and other NATO leaders support Poland's position, US President Donald Trump suggested the incursions "could have been a mistake." The Polish government firmly rejected this characterization, maintaining the action was deliberate.
