France transfers Rafale fighter jets to Russia's borders

Occitanie Tribune reports this with reference to the statement of Lithuania's Vice Minister of Defense Vilius Semeška.

“Today, NATO air defense is extremely important. Back in Madrid, NATO countries agreed to strengthen deterrence and defense measures, in particular in the field of air defense. We recognize that air defense means must play an important role in ensuring the security of the skies of the Baltic states,” he said. 

It is known that the program, which involves patrolling the airspace over the Baltic states, was launched in 2004. This is the ninth participation of the French Aerospace Forces in the Baltic mission. Moreover, this will already be the sixth deployment of forces in Lithuania.

Hungarian servicemen who completed the mission protected the airspace of the Baltic states with four JAS-39 Gripen fighters. About 150 servicemen took part in the mission - pilots, technicians, medical personnel, support groups, as well as communication specialists.