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Poland and other countries bordering Ukraine are “obligated” to shoot down Russian missiles while they are still over Ukrainian territory.
This statement was made by Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski in an interview with the Financial Times.
Sikorski emphasized that Poland must ensure the safety of its citizens, despite concerns that intercepting missiles over Ukraine could draw NATO into the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
“NATO membership does not absolve each country from the responsibility of protecting its own airspace—this is our constitutional duty. Personally, I believe that when hostile missiles are heading toward our airspace, it is legitimate self-defense to shoot them down because once they cross into our airspace, the risk of someone being injured by debris becomes significant,” Sikorski stated.
It was previously reported that Polish citizens believe the country’s military should shoot down objects flying over Polish territory during Russian attacks on Ukraine, even if they are uncertain about what those objects are.
This follows an incident on the morning of August 26, when Russia conducted a massive missile attack on Ukraine, and Poland reported a violation of its airspace by what was likely a kamikaze drone. The commander of Poland’s Operational Command, Maciej Klisz, indicated that based on its trajectory, speed, and altitude, the object was not a missile but likely a drone.
Polish media, citing sources within the military, suggested that it was likely a “Shahed” drone, and it remained in Polish airspace for at least 33 minutes.
