Three French Rafale fighter jets were deployed to Poland on September 14th, 2025, as part of NATO's Operation "Eastern Sentinel" to bolster European airspace defense. The deployment, supported by a French A400M Atlas aircraft, signifies the "reactive power" of the French Air and Space Force in common defense of the alliance's airspace, according to statements from the French Air and Space Force Command (CEM_AAE) and the French Armed Forces Staff (EMA). The deployment of the Rafale jets, confirmed via social media posts from the French Air and Space Force Command and the French Armed Forces Staff, highlights France's commitment to "permanent vigilance alongside our allies." These flights represent the first French deployments under the Eastern Sentry operation, aiming to counter ongoing Russian threats. This development follows earlier reports on September 14th, 2025, where Polish President Karol Nawrocki signed consent for NATO troop deployments to Poland. The previous context also noted Ukraine's Air Force reporting repeated launches of Shahed-136/131 shock UAVs from the Satalovo aerodrome in the northern direction, and similar launches from the Bryansk and Kursk regions, indicating a heightened security environment. Amidst this regional tension, an alert regarding "Shahed" drone activity was issued for the Sumy and Chernihiv regions in Ukraine, with specific attention noted for Nizhin and Krolevets. This follows earlier reports from Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) detailing repeated launches of "ShahED-136" shock UAVs from Russian territories.
