PARIS 

France launched Rafale fighter jets in Poland on an air policing mission as war continues to rage in neighboring Ukraine, the defense ministry confirmed Saturday.

“Every day, two flights of a pair of Rafale are planned on the eastern flank from Mont-de-Marsan airbase (in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in southwestern France) for an air policing and air defense mission in Poland,” the Air Force said in a statement on Twitter.

Since Russia started the war against Ukraine 10 days ago, the Air and Space Force has been involved in the deterrence and defense of countries on NATO's eastern flank and pilots were put on alert, it said.

Pilots receive a briefing from intelligence experts before takeoff. The flights are involved in an eight- to nine-hour mission patrolling and surveilling airspace in Poland after which they return to the base in France.

The Rafale jets are accompanied by aerial refueling aircraft's C-135 tanker or an A330 Phenix MRTT.
Air Force spokesman Col. Stephane Spet said the mission cannot be challenged.

“We explain that this airspace is not contestable. Clearly, we are at home, and we do not want anyone to come and challenge us,” according to a report in BFMTV news that quoted Spet.

The French armed forces and the government have emphasized it does not want to go to war against Russia but it wants to increase the cost of the war, forcing Russian President Vladimir Putin to a cease-fire and to get him to negotiate.

At the request of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, France has delivered military equipment to Ukraine. The nature of the equipment was not disclosed.

Besides Rafales in Poland, Paris has also deployed four Mirage 2000 aircraft and around 100 Air and Space Force airmen in Estonia and the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier with Rafales to carry out air policing missions in Romania.

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