NATO has embarked on a significant new mission to reinforce its eastern flank after a dramatic incursion of Russian drones into Polish airspace, marking one of the most serious security incidents in Europe since the end of the Cold War. The operation, named "Eastern Sentry" (or "Centinela Este" in Spanish), was officially launched on the night of September 12, 2025, following the violation of Polish airspace by dozens of Russian drones just two days earlier. The rapid and coordinated response by NATO allies underscores the growing concern over Russia’s use of unmanned aerial vehicles and the broader threat they pose to European security.
According to El País, the incursion triggered a swift reaction from NATO and Polish forces, who shot down the drones before they could cause damage. The incident was not dismissed as an isolated event. As General Alexus G. Grynkewich, Supreme Allied Commander Europe, stated, "The entry of Russian drones into Poland is not an isolated incident and affects more than just one country." He emphasized that while a full assessment of the episode is still underway, "NATO is not waiting: we are acting." This sense of urgency was echoed by Secretary General Mark Rutte, who described the mission as a clear demonstration of unity and deterrence, confirming that additional land and air forces would be positioned across eight NATO countries.
The new mission will see a multinational deployment of both air and land assets, integrating existing capabilities with new reinforcements. Denmark, for instance, will deploy two F-16 fighters and an anti-air warfare frigate, while France is sending three Rafale fighters. Germany has committed four Eurofighter Typhoons, and the United Kingdom has pledged to provide additional, though unspecified, capabilities. These forces will join those already stationed in the region, including Dutch F-35s, NATO AWACS early warning aircraft, and Polish F-16s, which played a key role in intercepting the Russian drones. Spain, too, will contribute aerial assets, as Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez confirmed: "These media will be added to those we already have in Latvia, Lithuania and other countries and will be there all the time."
The operation is not limited to aerial assets. As reported by Radio Svoboda, Eastern Sentry will also involve the rapid integration of new technologies, particularly in the detection and neutralization of drones. Allied Command Operations will work alongside Allied Command Transformation to deploy sensors and weapons specifically designed to counter unmanned threats, building on lessons learned from previous initiatives like Baltic Sentry. This technological push is seen as vital, given the increasing sophistication and frequency of drone incursions.
General Grynkewich made it clear that the mission aims not only to meet immediate security demands but also to develop more affordable means of countering drone threats. He stated, "Involving additional resources to solve this problem will help resolve it. That is why we are starting this operation [Eastern Sentry]. The effort is aimed at getting cheaper weapons that we can use for self-defense. I will make one last comment: when a fighter pilot is in the air or someone is on the ground defending the alliance, I don’t want them to think about how much their weapon costs. I want them to defend our citizens." This sentiment was in response to criticism over the use of expensive air defense systems—such as $2.8 million AIM-9X missiles—against relatively cheap Russian drones, which can cost as little as $10,000 each.
The decision to launch Eastern Sentry followed a meeting of the North Atlantic Council on September 10, where Poland invoked Article 4 of the Washington Treaty, requesting consultations with allies over what it described as a "large-scale provocation." Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called the drone incursion "the most serious incident for Poland since the Second World War," though he reassured the public that the region was not "on the brink of war." The North Atlantic Council expressed full solidarity with Poland and condemned Russia’s "reckless and dangerous" behavior.
As Straight Arrow News reported, there remains debate over whether the drone incursion was intentional. While former U.S. President Donald Trump suggested it "could have been a mistake," Polish leadership flatly rejected that premise. Polish officials believe the incursion was a deliberate attempt by Russia to test NATO’s resolve and probe the alliance’s defenses. Robert English, director of Central European Studies at USC, commented, "If indeed Russia is engaged in testing NATO’s resolution probing, then the more resolute the response, the better. If it went unanswered, that would be terrible, and that’s what they’re worried about. They have to do something."
The U.S. position on Eastern Sentry has been supportive but measured. While the United States has not sent additional weapons or warplanes for the mission, Acting U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Dorothy Shea affirmed to the UN Security Council that America would "defend every inch of NATO territory." Paul Poast, associate political science professor at the University of Chicago, noted that this is "an appropriate response of saying we’re not going to let it go unanswered." Within the Trump administration, there is a range of views: Vice President JD Vance has pushed for European nations to step up their own defenses, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio has sought to reassure NATO allies of American commitment.
Beyond the immediate military response, NATO leaders have underscored a broader shift in defense mentality. General Grynkewich explained that the eastern flank now serves as the alliance’s "first line of defense" against drone threats, adding, "We are all vulnerable to the range that these drones can fly, the routes that they can take." Secretary General Rutte also emphasized the need to "defend every centimeter of its territory," warning that the speed and reach of Russian drones mean that cities like Madrid or London are nearly as vulnerable as those closer to Russia’s borders.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky weighed in as well, calling the launch of Russian drones over Poland "an escalation that poses a real threat to Europe" and urging faster security guarantees for Kyiv. He offered to share Ukraine’s operational experience in drone interception as a contribution to NATO’s collective defense, further highlighting the interconnectedness of European security concerns.
As Eastern Sentry gets underway, it is clear that NATO is sending an unequivocal message to Moscow: any attempt to challenge the security of the alliance’s eastern flank will be met with a swift and collective response. The mission’s focus on both immediate deterrence and long-term adaptation to new threats reflects the evolving nature of modern warfare—and the alliance’s determination to stay a step ahead.
For now, the eyes of Europe—and much of the world—are fixed on the skies over Poland and the broader eastern frontier, where the balance between deterrence and escalation remains as delicate as ever.