Spanish Eurofighters were activated due to a possible Russian air incursion into Poland

Russian airstrikes in western Ukraine have put allied fighter jets monitoring NATO's eastern flank on high alert.

Wave of interceptions of Russian aircraft by Spanish fighters in Lithuania
Poland points out that Russian drones ‘repeatedly’ violated Polish airspace

This Wednesday at 4:27 AM CET, the Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces communicated: "Due to the Russian Federation's attack on targets located in Ukrainian territory, Polish and allied air forces are operating in our airspace. In accordance with applicable procedures, the Operational Commander of the Armed Forces mobilized the necessary forces and resources at his disposal. Pairs of active fighter jets and an early warning aircraft were deployed, and ground-based air defense and radar reconnaissance systems were placed on maximum alert.

This deployment was related to the massive attack launched by Russia against western Ukraine, killing 26 people (including 3 children) in Ternopil, in a new attack against residential buildings that constitutes a war crime.

It should be remembered that on September 12, NATO launched Operation Eastern Sentry to reinforce the Alliance's eastern flank, following a Russian attack on western Ukraine in which Russian drones "repeatedly" violated Polish airspace. This operation is supported by several allied countries, which have sent fighter jets to the area to reinforce Polish fighters.

At the beginning of August, the Spanish Air Force deployed 8 Eurofighter fighter jets to the air base in Šiauliai (Lithuania), a deployment known as Vilkas Detachment, made up of nearly 200 military aviators from up to 15 different Air Force units.

Currently, this Detachment has ten Eurofighter aircraft from Wing 11 (based in Morón de la Frontera) and an A400M refueling aircraft from Wing 31 (Zaragoza), which was incorporated in mid-August and serves to increase the flight autonomy of these Spanish fighters, which have the support of four JAS-39C Gripen fighters from the Hungarian Air Force, also located in Šiauliai.

Yesterday, at 8:34 a.m. CET, the Polish Armed Forces Operational Command announced the end of the aforementioned alert following the Russian attack, noting that no violations of Polish airspace were observed. The Polish command expressed its gratitude for the assistance provided by fighter jets from Spain, Norway, and the Netherlands during the alert, as well as the support provided by Patriot missile systems from the German Armed Forces.

This Thursday, the Spanish Joint Chiefs of Staff (EMAD) announced that two Spanish Eurofighters and the A400M from the Vilkas Detachment took off on Wednesday at around 6:00 a.m. local time from Šiauliai, responding to an alert sent from the Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC) in Uedem, Germany, "because objects consistent with drones had been detected in the vicinity of its border, coming from the east."

The two Eurofighters and the A400M from the Vilkas Detachment completed approximately three hours of flight and finally returned to Šiauliai once the threat of incursion into Poland from the detected objects had disappeared. Lieutenant Colonel Francisco Holgado del Aguila stated that "the execution of this mission, within the framework of Operation Eastern Sentinel, highlights the preparedness, readiness, and reaction capacity of the Spanish assets transferred to NATO to guarantee territorial sovereignty on the Alliance's eastern flank. With this objective, Spain will maintain its deployment in Lithuania, putting all our operational capacity and commitment at the service of our shared security."

The last four photos you can see here are from yesterday's activation of the Spanish aircraft from the Vilkas Detachment. As a Spanish citizen, I am comforted to know that our air force is providing assistance to our Polish and Baltic allies in the face of the threat posed to them by frequent Russian drone and missile attacks against Ukraine. Russia is seriously threatening peace and security in Europe, and Spain must support its allies at this critical time.

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Photos: Estado Mayor de la Defensa.