French fighter jets fly over Poland as part of NATO's deterrence strategy

By Esra Taskin

PARIS (AA) – French Rafale fighter jets have begun carrying out patrols in Polish airspace amid Russia’s war on Ukraine, France’s Defense Ministry said Sunday.

The Rafale fighters take off twice a day from the southern Mont-de-Marsan Air Base and return to France after the flights, the Air Force said in a statement on Twitter.

They are accompanied by KC-135 aerial refueling aircraft or an A330 Phenix MRTT tanker.

France launched the fighter jets in Poland on an air policing mission Saturday.

More than 500 soldiers will also be stationed in Romania and 200 in Estonia to support the NATO alliance.

Russia's war on Ukraine has been met with outrage from the international community, with the European Union, UK and US among others imposing a range of economic sanctions on Moscow.

At least 364 civilians have been killed and 759 others injured in Ukraine since Russia launched a war in the Eastern European country on Feb. 24, according to UN figures, with the real toll feared to be higher.

More than 1.5 million people have fled Ukraine to neighboring countries, according to the UN Refugee Agency.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar