Poland Considers Intercepting Russian Missiles Over Ukrainian Airspace

Speaking at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, Sikorski said some Russian missiles fired from the St. Petersburg region at targets near Lviv in western Ukraine briefly entered Polish airspace for about 40 seconds before turning back toward Ukraine, the BBC reported.

The proposal would theoretically cover any missile crossing western Ukraine on its way to Poland. The idea was included in a joint defense agreement signed during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s recent visit to Warsaw.

Sikorski highlighted the dilemma facing Poland: shooting down missiles only when they enter Polish airspace could result in debris threatening Polish citizens and property. The Ukrainian proposal proposes to intercept these missiles over Ukrainian territory when they risk entering Poland.

Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, however, stressed that Poland would not intercept Russian missiles over Ukraine without the agreement of NATO, and in particular the United States, which is said to be skeptical of the idea. Polish officials fear that without the allies’ firm support, the proposal would be very risky for Poland, potentially exposing the country to Russian retaliation.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Poland has provided significant military aid to Ukraine, including tanks, fighter jets and various weapons systems worth over €4 billion. The discussion follows past incidents involving Russian missiles near Polish territory and the deadly Russian missile strike on Kyiv’s main children’s hospital, Okhmatdyt.

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