Germany Deploys Aircraft in Romania Amid Growing Tensions with Russia

Germany has stationed five Eurofighter jets and nearly 150 servicemen in Malbork, Poland, to secure the country’s airspace, the German Air Force announced today. This deployment comes in response to Russian drone incursions in September, according to Reuters.

Polish F-16s, Dutch F-35s, Italian AWACS reconnaissance aircraft, and NATO air-to-air refueling planes participated in operations to intercept the drones that entered Polish airspace in mid-September. This marked the first known instance of an allied member of the Western military coalition opening fire during the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Authorities in Moscow have denied responsibility for the incident. In addition to its operations in Poland, Germany has also deployed Eurofighter aircraft in Romania as part of NATO efforts to bolster the eastern flank of the alliance in light of rising tensions with Russia.