Poland Adopts War-Time Rules for Shooting Down Foreign Aircraft

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Poland's Deputy Minister of Defense, Cezary Tomczyk, stated on Monday that Polish fighter jets and helicopters will be able to shoot down foreign aircraft detected in the country's airspace, according to defensive measures typically taken during wartime.

This step is part of the latest measures aimed at strengthening Poland's defenses, a member of NATO and the European Union, as the war in neighboring Ukraine approaches its fifth year, and amid increasing warnings from Kyiv's allies about the rising threat of Russian drones.

Tomczyk said that such a change would allow "the pilot or the operations commander to make the decision to shoot down a foreign aircraft based on radar data or other information received by the system."

He noted that these criteria "are usually applied in times of war or martial law," while the criteria used during peacetime require visual sighting of the aircraft rather than relying solely on radar system readings.

The official stated that the change was adopted because Poland "faces the possibility of drones entering its airspace on a daily basis."

Earlier in September, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that Russia plans, as part of its war with Ukraine, to launch missile and drone attacks on Kyiv's allies, including Poland.

Warsaw, which is one of the NATO members spending the most on defense relative to the size of its economy, accuses Moscow of carrying out "multifaceted" provocations on its territory, including violating its airspace using drones.