Poland considers downing Russian missiles over Ukraine, FM says

Warsaw is considering Kyiv's proposal to shoot down Russian missiles flying toward Polish territory while they are still in Ukraine's airspace, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski told the American Enterprise Institute in Washington on July 12.

His remarks come days after Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said Poland will not comply with Ukraine's request to shoot down Russian missiles without NATO's decision.

Warsaw, an alliance member, frequently scrambles fighter jets to protect Polish airspace as Russian forces launch large-scale aerial attacks on Ukraine. They have never been used to destroy missiles or drones.

The proposal to intercept missiles over Ukraine was included in a security agreement between the two nations signed on July 8 in Warsaw.

"At this stage, this is an idea. What our agreement said is we will explore this idea," Sikorski said, calling the potential move self-defense.

Some of the Russian missiles fired at targets in Lviv Oblast in Ukraine's west entered Polish airspace for about 40 seconds before turning back to targets on Ukrainian soil, Sikorski said.

According to the minister, the problem for Poland is that once downed, the debris could pose a threat to Poles and the country's property.

"And the Ukrainians are saying: 'Please, we will not mind, do it over our airspace when they're in imminent danger of crossing into Polish territory,'" he added.

Last year, a Russian missile entered Polish airspace, putting the country's defenses on high alert. In another incident on Nov. 15, 2022, a missile flew onto Polish territory during a Russian mass attack, killing two civilians. Polish investigators later concluded that it was a stray Ukrainian anti-air projectile launched to intercept the Russian attack.

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The Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk