Poland spoke out about the possibility of shooting down Russian missiles and explained the dilemma

In Poland, they spoke about the possibility of shooting down Russian missiles and explained the dilemma Victoria Kulzhenko

Shooting down of Russian missiles by Polish air defense/GettyImages

During Russia's massive attacks on Ukraine, missiles violated Polish airspace several times. AT the NATO summit. which took place in Washington, they discussed the possibility of shooting down Polish air defense missiles over the western part of Ukraine.

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said that Warsaw had taken for consideration is Kyiv's proposal to shoot down Russian missiles that are heading towards its state while they are still in Ukrainian airspace. This proposal was added to the joint defense agreement between the two countries.

40 seconds – not enough for a reaction

Sikorsky noted that at the current stage this is an idea. In accordance with the agreement, it is going to be investigated.

According to him, some Russian missiles fired from the St. Petersburg area at Ukrainian targets near the city of Lviv in the west of the country, near Polish border, crossed Belarus and entered Polish airspace for approximately 40 seconds. Such a short period of time gave Poland little time to react.

However, in theory, this proposal applies to any missiles flying through western Ukraine towards Poland. Sikorsky also called his state “front-line.”

Our dilemma is this. If we shoot them down only when they enter our airspace, the debris poses a threat to our citizens and our property,” the politician explained.

Sikorsky also recalled that the Russian missile fell near his home in Bydgoszcz, about 500 kilometers from the Belarusian border, without harming anyone, in December 2022. At the same time, two Polish citizens died due to falling debris when Ukraine shot down a Russian missile near the Polish border. will consult with its NATO allies and gain their consent before attempting to shoot down any Russian missiles. According to him, this should be an allied decision, and the key is the opinion of the United States, which is quite skeptical on this issue. that this proposal could prove dangerous for Poland without the support of its allies. He fears that Russia might respond to this.