The RAF Typhoon jets were deployed over Poland on Friday night as part of the military alliance's mission to bolster its eastern flank. Tensions have escalated following repeated Russian violations of Nato members' airspace this month - with a drone detected over Romania and then warplanes in Estonia's airspace following the incursions into Poland.

Moscow claims incursion into Estonia was ‘scheduled flight’ after Donald Trump warns the breach could lead to ‘big trouble’

British fighter have completed their first Nato policing mission over Poland since Russian drones violated of the country’s airspace. RAF Typhoons sett off from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire on Friday night (19 September) and patrolled the skies in the area where 19 drones were shot down earlier this month.

Russian pilots ignored signals from Italian jets responding from NATO's Baltic Air Policing Mission when they violated Estonian airspace, a senior Estonian military official said Saturday. The 12-minute incursion was the latest test of the alliance's ability to respond to Russian airborne threats after around 20 Russian

The incident comes just over a week after more than 20 Russian drones entered Polish airspace on the night of September 9-10, prompting NATO jets to down some of them and Western officials to say Russia was testing the alliance's readiness and resolve.

Estonia summoned a Russian diplomat to protest after three Russian fighter aircraft entered its airspace without permission Friday and stayed there for 12 minutes, the Foreign Ministry said, just over a week after NATO planes downed Russian drones over Poland and heightened fears that the war in Ukraine could spill over.

The head of Britain's foreign intelligence agency says there is "absolutely no evidence" that Russia's Vladimir Putin wants to negotiate peace in Ukraine

Drones used for defense and attack have taken a central battlefield role in the more than three years since Russia invaded Ukraine.