German, Hungarian and Italian fighters from Monday (August 1, 2022) will begin air patrols over the Baltic region as part of the NATO airspace protection mission, the NATO press service reports.

Over the coming months, four Hungarian JAS-39 fighters and about eighty personnel will be leading the mission from Siauliai Air Base in Lithuania, while four German Eurofighters will be flying from Ämari in Estonia. They will be joined by Italian Eurofighters based in Malbork, Poland.

The new contingents replaced the Belgian, French and Spanish units that had been patrolling the region since April. After a few months in Šiauliai, the Czech Air Force aircraft will continue their deployment throughout the summer. The Allies have taken turns guarding the skies over Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania since they joined NATO in 2004, as the three countries do not have their own fighter jets.