Poland could intercept Russian missile if it traveled farther: Ministry of Defense
Photo: Polish Minister of Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz (Getty Images)
Poland would have shot down the Russian missile that violated its airspace today, March 24, if it had flown deeper into the country, reports the advisor to the Minister of Defense, Mieczysław Bieniek.
It is noted that the Russian missile stayed in Poland's airspace for 39 seconds. It flew at an altitude of 400 meters and at a speed of 800 km/h. The missile penetrated 1.5-2 km into Poland. During the incident, two pairs of F-16 fighters - two Polish and two American - were scrambled into the air.
"The anti-aircraft defense, the next pairs of F16 (Polish and American), would have had time to shoot down the object. The effectors, that is, the missiles carried by the pilots, could have brought down the object if it had gone deeper and posed a threat," said the advisor to the Minister of Defense of Poland.
Polish Minister of Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz thanked the US and the UK for deciding to leave the Sky Sabre air and missile defense systems in Poland until the end of the year.
He also emphasized the importance of supporting Ukraine, stating that today's incident underscores it.
Night attack
Tonight, Russia once again attacked Ukraine with missiles and kamikaze drones. Occupiers from strategic aviation launched 29 cruise missiles and 28 Shahed drones. Air defense forces destroyed 18 missiles and 25 drones.
Explosions were heard in Kyiv; air defense systems intercepted nearly 10 missiles near the capital. In the Lviv region, the Russians attacked a critical infrastructure object, resulting in a fire.
The occupiers also targeted Kryvyi Rih with drones, leaving over 76,000 people without heating in the city.
It is known that today a Russian missile flew into Polish territory, prompting aviation to be scrambled.
