Poland seeks right to intercept Russian missiles in Ukrainian airspace
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski stated that Warsaw should have the right to intercept Russian missiles threatening its territory while they are still within Ukrainian airspace, reports AFP.
The statements of the Polish Foreign Minister, published on Monday in the Financial Times (FT), follow a week after a “flying object” —likely a Shahed drone of Russian origin, produced in Iran—entered Polish territory, a NATO member and ally of Kiev, amid extensive Russian attacks in neighbouring Ukraine.
The drone, which disappeared from radar, has not yet been located. Warsaw has previously reported at least two other instances of Russian missiles entering Polish territory.
On Monday, following a new wave of extensive Russian attacks on Ukraine, the Polish Air Force once again scrambled its aircraft.
“Being a NATO member does not negate each country’s responsibility to protect its own airspace—it is our constitutional duty,” Sikorski told FT.
“I believe that when hostile missiles are about to enter our airspace, it is legitimate to defend ourselves, as the risk of debris causing harm increases once they are within our airspace,” he added.
According to the Polish Foreign Minister, Kiev supports such operations. “The Ukrainians have indicated that we are welcome to proceed,” he told FT.
Radoslaw Sikorski discussed this issue with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in March. However, according to a senior NATO official, Stoltenberg “reminded him that NATO has significantly increased vigilance and bolstered positions on the eastern flank of the Alliance, particularly in Poland.”
NATO fears that such a measure could lead to increased involvement of the Alliance in the Russo-Ukrainian conflict.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
