Poland Adopts War Time Rules for Shooting Down Foreign Aircraft

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Polish Deputy Minister of Defense Cezary Tomczyk said 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 warnings from Kyiv's allies about the increasing threat of Russian drones grow.

Tomczyk stated that such a change would allow "the pilot or 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 standards used during peacetime require visual confirmation of the aircraft rather than solely relying 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.