2024-09-09 14:46 update: 2024-09-09, 14:50
Photo: PAP/Wojtek Jargiło
The Polish minister of defence has called for a united allied response to the Russian drones' weekend breach of Romanian and Latvian airspace.
Polish Minister of Defence Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said on Monday the incident shows "the severity of the situation (in Ukraine -PAP) and how dangerous it is." According to the politician, the NATO allies have been discussing the matter of a joint response to similar situations. However, no conclusions have been made yet.
"The rules are precise when it comes to when such weapons can be downed," he added at a press conference in the southeastern city of Tarnow. He stated that Poland can react to Russian weapons violating its airspace, but as a country of peace, it must meet certain criteria. According to Kosiniak-Kamysz, Warsaw has to arm and brace itself by purchasing the best air defence systems.
The statement follows Poland's repeated deployment of F-16 fighter jets after cases of Russian missiles and drones breaching its airspace.
The Russian drone incursion into Romanian skies during attacks on Ukraine was a repetition of past events. Since the Kremlin launched its all-out war against Ukraine, Bucharest has reported numerous instances of downed drone debris on its soil along the Danube River.
For Latvia, however, such incidents during the current war had been unprecedented. According to its Ministry of Defence, the weapon had flown into Latvian airspace from Belarus and crashed in the eastern part of the country. Riga and Bucharest asserted that neither of the countries was the target of Moscow's weekend attacks. (PAP)
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