The F-35 stealth fighters that shot down Russian drones were just days into new front-line NATO patrols

"Dutch F-35s have intercepted Russian drones over Poland," Ruben Brekelmans, the minister of defense for the Netherlands, said."

"Within the NATO framework, our F-35s make a significant contribution to the defence of our collective security. This is precisely what we stand ready to do. This is how we keep the escalating Russian threat at a distance," he added."

"It is not the first time that Dutch F-35s have taken off in Poland for Russian projectiles that threatened the NATO treaty area," said the Dutch defense ministry on Wednesday after the incident. It is, however, the first time that weapons have been used to engage those threats."

Nineteen Russian drones crossed into Polish airspace during a large-scale attack on Ukraine, prompting NATO air defense responses. Dutch F-35s, only days into a three-month deployment alongside Norway, scrambled as part of a high-alert mission to guard NATO airspace and protect arms shipments bound for Ukraine. Western officials reported several drones were shot down. The F-35s, built by Lockheed Martin, carry advanced sensors, networking capabilities, and weapons for air-to-air and air-to-ground engagements. The defense ministry noted prior takeoffs to counter Russian projectiles but said this was the first time weapons were used to engage those threats.

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