Błaszczak explains why Patriot deployment in Ukraine is beneficial for Poland's security

Błaszczak said this during a visit to the Tumak-22 military exercise.

"The deployment of German Patriot systems in Ukraine is beneficial for the security of the south-eastern part of our country because missile security in eastern Ukraine also means security in eastern Poland. It all depends on the reaction time. Patriot systems stationed in eastern Poland will be able to shoot down missiles that cross the Polish border, and the tragic event that occurred on November 15 was just a few kilometers from the Ukrainian border. This missile flew through the territory of Poland in a few seconds, " Błaszczak said. "That's not enough time to shoot it down effectively. And to shoot down such a missile over Ukrainian territory would mean Poland entering the war, and we don't want that."

The threat of a total blackout in Ukraine and a new wave of refugees was another point in favour, Błaszczak added 

"The intense missile attacks on Ukraine’s power plants and other critical infrastructure facilities cause a lack of electricity. As a result, this will lead to another wave of refugees in the winter, and from the point of view of both the security of Ukraine and the security of Poland and the whole of Europe, it is better that there should not be another wave of refugees," he said.

Commenting on the thesis that allegedly German Patriot anti-aircraft missiles are too technologically advanced systems to transfer to Ukraine, Błaszczak noted that Kyiv has much more technologically advanced weapons.

"First of all, the German Patriot systems are an old version, from the 1980s, so we can't say that they are technologically advanced. The Polish Patriots are really technologically advanced, and this is really their latest version. (...) At the same time, equipment that is much more technologically advanced than German Patriot systems has already been transferred to Ukraine, I mean HIMARS systems," he said.

• Berlin offered Warsaw the Patriot missile defense systems on November 21 after a missile landed in Poland during a Russian attack on Ukraine, killing two people.

• Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak said on November 23 that he had asked Germany to send Patriot to Ukraine instead.

• Germany reported that the deployment of Patriot air defense systems in Ukraine, which will be provided to Poland, is possible only after consultations with NATO.

• NATO said that the decision to transfer German Patriot missile defense systems to Ukraine should be made by the governments of the countries. 

• Poland, after permission from NATO, again asks Germany to deploy Patriot air defense systems in Ukraine