Czech Gripen fighters scrambled to Poland amid Russian drone attacks

Czech JAS-39 Gripen fighter jets were scrambled to monitor NATO airspace along Poland's eastern border amid Russian drone attacks in western Ukraine, the Czech Army confirmed Friday.

The armed fighters took off from Pardubice on Thursday evening on orders from NATO's allied command as part of the alliance's integrated air and missile defense system.

They monitored the area but ultimately did not need to intervene. After being relieved by Polish fighter jets, the Czech aircraft returned safely to Pardubice.

"When needed, we are ready to protect the airspace of our allies," the Czech Army said.

The deployment came as Russia launched another drone attack on targets in western Ukraine close to Polish territory.

A jet-powered drone crashed or was shot down near Yahodyn on the Ukrainian side of the border Thursday, roughly four kilometers from Poland. Polish authorities sent emergency alerts to residents of two regions, while sirens sounded in several cities and Polish aircraft were also scrambled.

Air traffic at airports in Lublin and Rzeszów was temporarily suspended during the alert. Rzeszów has served as a major logistics hub for Western assistance to Ukraine.

It was the latest in a series of Russian attacks close to the Polish border. On Sunday, a Russian drone struck the locomotive of a passenger train heading toward Warsaw at Yahodyn station, according to Ukrainian authorities. Another drone hit a gas station less than a kilometer from the Yahodyn-Dorohusk border crossing.

Polish Chief of the General Staff Wiesław Kukuła thanked Czech forces for their assistance Friday, saying NATO had activated the Czech Air Force to support Poland's defense.

"Czechs, as usual, on time and, as usual, professional," Kukuła wrote on X.

The deployment comes amid heightened regional security concerns. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned Thursday that intelligence assessments indicate Russia may be planning hybrid attacks against countries supporting Ukraine.

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš subsequently said Czechia was already facing a Russian "hybrid war," with Czech intelligence services closely monitoring potential threats.