Poland to shoot down Russian drones over Ukraine without NATO and EU permission — Euractiv
Photo: Warsaw wants to allow shooting down Russian drones over Ukraine (Getty Images)
Warsaw is preparing a law that will give the military the right to shoot down Russian drones over Ukraine without waiting for permission from NATO and the EU, Euractiv reports.
Poland plans to amend the law on military deployments abroad. According to the draft, Polish forces will be able to shoot down Russian objects, including drones, over Ukraine without prior approval from NATO or the EU.
The draft, submitted by the Ministry of Defense back in June, is expected to be adopted soon.
History of law and restrictions
Initially, the law allowed the president to authorize the deployment of troops at the request of the government in cases of armed conflict, peacekeeping missions, counterterrorism operations, or evacuations.
But in 2022, the day before Russia's full-scale invasion, the PiS government changed it. Now, approval from NATO, the EU, and the country where Polish troops are stationed is mandatory.
The commission investigating Russian influence later criticized this provision, noting that it deprived Warsaw of the right to act independently against drones from Ukraine and Belarus.
New powers fo military
The current ruling coalition plans to lift these restrictions on a shoot first, ask questions later basis, giving the military more flexibility in responding to threats.
On September 10, Russian drones launched a massive attack on Ukraine, and during this attack, about 20 Russian drones flew into Polish territory. In response, the country scrambled its air force and shot down Russian targets over its territory for the first time during Russia's war against Ukraine.
During his recent meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, US President Donald Trump made a statement regarding Russian aircraft that violated NATO airspace. According to him, Alliance countries should shoot down Russian fighter jets.
