Poland: NATO Required to Intercept Russian Missiles Targeting Alliance Territories

Poland and other NATO members bordering Ukraine not only have the right but are also obligated to intercept and destroy Russian missiles and drones fired at Ukraine if they threaten NATO territory. This was stated by Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski in an interview with the Financial Times.

Sikorski's comments come after a recent incident where a suspected Russian drone entered Polish airspace during Russia's largest airstrike against Ukraine. Although the drone was never found and is believed to have fallen on Ukrainian soil, the event prompted Poland to activate warplanes to defend its airspace during another Russian air raid this morning.

However, the Financial Times also quoted NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană, who emphasized that the alliance does not support the use of anti-aircraft weapons against targets in Ukraine, in order to avoid escalating tensions between NATO and Russia.

This morning, Russian forces launched 35 missiles and 23 combat drones at Kyiv, with Ukrainian air defenses successfully destroying 22 missiles and 20 drones. Despite the heavy bombardment, only three injuries were reported. Air raid sirens blared for two hours, ending just before the start of the school day.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba claimed that some of the missiles used in today's attack were of North Korean origin. He criticized the lack of restrictions between Pyongyang and Moscow on the use of long-range weapons and urged Western allies to lift the "absurd" limitations they impose on Kyiv regarding the use of such weapons against Russia.