Poland scrambles jets 4 times in a WEEK after Russian drone provocations triple as NATO chief blasts Burnham’s Army cuts

POLAND scrambled fighter jets for the fourth time in a week yesterday as it emerged Russian drone and missile provocations had more than tripled this year. Air force chiefs ordered “military aviation operations” to shield the country’s border with Ukraine amid fears warmongering President Vladimir Putin is testing Western resolve. Russian drone and missile provocations on NATO countries has more than tripled Credit: Reuters Western leaders fear Russian President Vladimir Putin could be preparing to expand his war Credit: EPA It came as a Nato chief blasted Andy Burnham for suspending UK Army live-fire and tank training exercises to save £30million. Western leaders fear cornered despot Putin may be planning to expand his war and could mobilise as many as 300,000 newly drafted troops. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! He is thought to have ordered a ramping-up of Russian airspace violations on Nato territory from 18 in 2025 to 60 already this year. Poland, Romania, Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania have seen an increase in air raids and the use by Russia of long-range Shahed drones and low-tech, primarily decoy, Gerbera drones. Intelligence chiefs warn they could soon be incorporated into hybrid attacks on vital infrastructure, such as undersea pipelines, power grids and communication cables. A Polish military spokesman said yesterday: “Ground-based air defence systems and radar reconnaissance systems are at a state of readiness.” Ezra Cohen, Acting Under-Secretary of Defence for Intelligence and Security in Donald Trump’s first-term as US President, said there was a need for Europe to bolster its defence and defence spending. He said: “If European countries step up, the US is going to be there with them. We need countries like Germany and France to get serious.” Most read in The Sun Vladimir Putin has been testing the resilience of neighbouring countries and their Nato defences A Russian drone strike hit a train at Ukraine’s border with Poland Credit: AFP He spoke out after Poland’s prime minister Donald Tusk warned that stronger defences were vital. He added that the Kremlin would claim any missile strikes on countries supporting Ukraine were “accidental”. Nato officials, meanwhile, denied reports that Trump was weighing up halving US military presence in Europe to 40,000 soldiers. Intelligence sources claim Putin has been backed into a corner as his Ukraine invasion stalls. Russia has suffered 1.5million casualties, including 500,000 combat deaths, since the conflict began 4½ years ago. One Kremlin source said the increasingly desperate Putin has decided he has no option but to escalate hostilities across the continent. The tensions put Britain’s defence strategy in sharp focus, days after PM Mr Burnham stressed the UK should “put social security before national security”. Concerns rose further as a Nato chief blasted the Government’s decision earlier this month to suspend Army live-fire and tank training exercises to save £30million. Lt Gen Benoît Desmeulles, commander of France’s 1st Army Corps, said the “very, very bad” idea could harm Britain’s ability to fight. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has been criticised for his reluctance to prioritise defence spending Credit: Crown Copyright One Kremlin source said the increasingly desperate despot has decided he has no option but to escalate hostilities across the continent Credit: EPA He said: “If we are not good at our job, that’s a recipe for disaster.” The Ukraine war continued to rage yesterday as Russian air defences shot down 344 Ukrainian drones overnight, while Kyiv’s air force said it had downed 141 of the 174 drones launched by Russia. An elderly couple died in a strike on Ukraine’s second city Kharkiv. Meanwhile, Mr Trump unveiled “scorching” new sanctions against Russia. Despite his boasts, the deal only permits the US and its allies to make “sensitive investments” on the island. MASS allegations of voting fraud emerged yesterday in Russia’s three-day parliamentary election which is expected to give a huge majority to the main pro-war United Russia party backing Vladimir Putin. Comment now