Defence Secretary's words as UK fighter jets patrol Polish border

British warplanes will 'take out' Russian drones if they continue to make 'reckless' incursions into Nato airspace.

Defence Secretary John Healey issued a blunt 'message to Moscow' after two RAF fighters were this weekend deployed to the skies over Poland. He said:'Our Typhoons are fully equipped to take out Russian drones that enter Nato airspace. 'And we will not hesitate to act...'

Writing in The Mail on Sunday, Mr Healey declared: 'Britain will not be cowed.'

The defiant stance was Britain's answer to Russian drones flying more than 100 miles inside Poland on Nato's eastern border earlier this month.

However, on Friday, Moscow appeared to escalate its dangerous provocation by sending three powerful MiG-31 warplanes into Estonia airspace. Italian F-35s were scrambled to intercept the Russian jets which then returned to Kremlin airspace.