Czech Gripens scrambled over drone activity near Ukraine-Poland border

Czech JAS-39 Gripen fighter jets from the Pardubice air base scrambled on Thursday evening to monitor airspace near Poland's eastern border. According to the Czech Army, the alert was triggered by drone activity in western Ukraine.

"Combat mission for our Gripens. In Poland, we contributed to the protection of NATO airspace," the Army announced on social media. The jets operated under alliance command as part of NATO's integrated air and missile defence system.

No attack in the end

In the end, there was no need to use weapons. "After being relieved by Polish fighters, our Gripens returned safely to Pardubice," the Army said, adding: "When necessary, we are ready to defend our allies' airspace."

General Staff spokesman Vladimír Holáš clarified that the Czech fighters did not encounter any enemy drones and did not open fire on any, but he rejected the notion that the alert was a false alarm. "This was a routine, standard sortie. When increased activity is detected somewhere and the joint command decides it's necessary to raise readiness, this is exactly how it works," he explained. According to him, NATO aircraft rotate during such operations: one group arrives in a given area and monitors it until control is handed over to other alliance air forces.

Poland's reaction

The Army did not specify exactly what threat prompted the scramble. Earlier on Thursday, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that a Russian attack drone had crashed near the Polish border, in Ukraine's Volyn region, that afternoon.

Source: novinky.cz