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NATO has officially announced it will launch a new multi-domain defense initiative aimed at strengthening the Alliance’s eastern flank in response to Russia’s recent violation of Polish airspace by military drones.

Some shit you should know before you dig in: Earlier this week, 19 Russian drones violated Polish airspace during a large-scale aerial attack on Ukraine. Polish and NATO aircraft responded by shooting down three to four drones. The incident, which Poland has characterized as a deliberate and hostile act, prompted Warsaw to invoke NATO consultations under Article 4 and request a meeting of the UN Security Council. In contrast, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the Western allegations, saying “the leadership of the EU and NATO accuse Russia of provocations on a daily basis, most often declining to offer any arguments.” A top Belarusian general said drones from Russia and Ukraine “had lost their track as a result of the impact of the parties’ electronic warfare assets.”

What’s going on now: NATO has launched a new defensive operation called Eastern Sentry, designed to strengthen deterrence and bolster military readiness along its eastern flank in direct response to the drone incursion into Polish airspace. Announced by Secretary General Mark Rutte at NATO headquarters in Brussels, the operation will begin in the coming days and continue for an unspecified duration. Rutte emphasized that Eastern Sentry will give NATO the agility to shift forces dynamically across its eastern territories, adding, “This is about deterrence, defense, and demonstrating that our Alliance is ready to act.”

The list of Allied nations already committing assets is growing. Denmark is deploying two F-16 fighter jets and an anti-air warfare frigate; France is sending three Rafale fighter jets; Germany will contribute four Eurofighters; and the UK has signaled its intention to support the mission with additional forces. These new contributions will join existing NATO deployments in the region, including forward land forces already stationed in eight countries from the Baltics to the Black Sea.

In a statement, General Alexus G. Grynkewich, NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, said the operation reflects a shift toward “even more focused and flexible deterrence and defense,” while reinforcing that any attack on one NATO member is treated as an attack on all. “We’re not waiting to see what happens next—we are acting now,” he said.

French President Emmanuel Macron echoed this sentiment, announcing France’s immediate deployment of aircraft to Poland and warning, “We will not yield to Russia’s growing intimidation.” Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz thanked NATO for its rapid response and called the operation both “a strategic decision” and “an expression of responsibility for the security of the entire eastern flank.”

As of the time of this post, Russia has not commented on this development.