Overview

• A Dutch Ministry of Defence photo shows a Royal Netherlands Air Force 313 Squadron F-35A with a drone silhouette marking for a shootdown during the Sept. 9–10 violations of Polish airspace.
• The ministry told Business Insider the marking was added after taking out multiple drones in Polish airspace, while declining to disclose how many were downed.
• Business Insider reports the engagement was the first time NATO aircraft destroyed a Russian aircraft within alliance airspace.
• NATO Quick Reaction Alert fighters, including Polish F-16s and deployed Dutch F-35s from Poznań-Krzesiny, intercepted the intruders, though reported totals of shootdowns and crashes differ across outlets.
• Poland invoked Article 4 and NATO launched Operation Eastern Sentry, with Dutch F-35s deployed Sept. 1–Dec. 1 and additional Patriot, NASAMS and counter-drone systems slated to reinforce Poland from December.