France sends jets to Poland, the UK ramps up sanctions in a signal to Russia not to escalate

By CLAUDIA CIOBANU
Associated Press

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — France said it’s deploying fighter jets to Poland and Britain announced fresh sanctions on Russia’s oil revenues and war machine Friday as European countries took steps to deter Moscow’s aggression after an incursion by Russian drones into Polish territory.

French President Emmanuel Macron said he would deploy three advanced Rafale fighter jets to help protect Poland ’s airspace and NATO’ s eastern flank to fulfill a commitment to Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. The Rafales will patrol alongside other NATO aircraft in a deployment that also will include munitions and personnel on the ground, the French Defense Ministry said.

“The security of the European continent is our top priority. We will not yield to Russia’s growing intimidation,” Macron posted on X. He said the deployment was discussed with both NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Multiple Russian drones crossed into Poland on Wednesday, prompting NATO to send fighter jets to shoot them down and underlining long-held concerns about Russia’s three-year war in neighboring Ukraine expanding.

Russia said it did not target Poland and Moscow ally Belarus said were drones went astray because they were jammed, but European leaders have expressed certainty that the incursions were a deliberate provocation by Russia.

The new sanctions announced by Britain on Friday included bans on 70 vessels that the U.K. says are part of Russia’s “shadow fleet” that transports Russian oil in defiance of sanctions already in place. Some 30 individuals and companies — including Chinese and Turkey-based firms — also were sanctioned for their part in supplying Russia with electronics, chemicals, explosives and other weapons components.

Britain stands with Kyiv

The new British sanctions came as British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper made her first trip to Kyiv on Friday after her appointment a week ago following a Cabinet shake-up by Starmer.

Cooper said her visit is a demonstration of solidarity with Ukraine, which she said has seen a massive increase in Russian drone attacks in recent months. In July, there was a tenfold increase over the same month last year, she said.

“The UK will not stand idly by as Putin continues his barbaric invasion of Ukraine,” Cooper said, noting what she said was the Russian president’s “complete disregard for sovereignty” by sending drones into NATO airspace.

“International action to increase economic pressure on Russia and to cut off critical cash flows which he desperately needs to pay for this illegal war is vital.”

Reflecting Britain’s support for Ukraine, Prince Harry made a surprise visit to Kyiv where he’s meeting with wounded service members on Friday.

Poland’s Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski was also visiting Kyiv on Friday. His Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha posted on X that the two officials would discuss “shared security, Ukraine’s EU and NATO accession, and pressure on Moscow.” Meanwhile, Poland’s Defense Ministry said it will work with Ukraine to train personnel on anti-drone defense.

Wary Europe takes stock

Wednesday’s multiple Russian drone strike on Polish soil has compelled NATO allies to take a closer look at the means at their disposal to counter any further threats.

A U.N. Security Council meeting called by Poland will begin later Friday to discuss the Russian drone incursions.

Also Friday, Russia stoked European unease as it launched a long-planned joint military exercise with Belarus aiming to showcase close defense ties between Moscow and Minsk, as well as Russia’s military might.

U.S.-led efforts to steer Moscow and Kyiv toward a peace settlement have so far failed to get traction.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said talks to end the war in Ukraine were currently on “pause” even though channels of communication between negotiators remain open.

“One cannot simply put on rose-tinted glasses and expect that the negotiation process will yield lightning-fast results,” Peskov said. “The Russian side remains ready to follow the path of peaceful dialogue.”

Ukrainian drones strike Russian oil port

Russian air defenses downed 221 Ukrainian drones over more than a dozen Russian regions early Friday, Russia’s Defense Ministry said. The attack involved some of the highest numbers of drones reported by the Russian military, but there have been no reports of any significant damage.

A Ukrainian security official said drones struck Russia’s largest oil port on the Baltic Sea in Primorsk, including oil pumping stations conveying oil to the Ust-Luga port terminal.

The official said Primorsk is a key hub for Russia’s “shadow fleet” of sanction-busting tankers that earn Moscow approximately $15 billion annually.

The official spoke to The Associated Press on Friday on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to publicly discuss missions.

Meanwhile, Tusk, the Polish prime minister, dismissed U.S. President Donald Trump’s suggestion that the drone incursion into Poland may have been “a mistake.”

“We would also wish that the drone attack on Poland was a mistake,” Tusk wrote on X. “But it wasn’t. And we know it.” ____ Associated Press writers Jill Lawless in London; John Leicester in Paris; Ilia Novikov in Kyiv and Katie Marie Davis in Manchester, England, contributed to this report.