Poland could close western Ukraine's sky with political will, states Ukraine’s Air Force. Poland’s ex-minister responds

Spokesman for the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Ilya Yevlash, conveyed this during a telethon.

Yevlash mentioned ongoing discussions about Poland potentially securing the airspace in western Ukraine, which would enable the repositioning of military stations and launchers located in the west for other purposes.

"Theoretically and technically, Poland's long-range air defense systems, such as the Patriot systems, could make this possible. However, it hinges on political will, necessitating diplomatic and military leadership agreement," Yevlash emphasized.

He highlighted that such a decision would “make life easier” for Ukraine's Air Force.

“That would allow us to effectively combat tactical aviation, guided missiles, and cruise missiles using existing resources. Of course, it would benefit us significantly,” he said. 

Poland’s ex-minister responds

Former Polish Minister of National Defense Janusz Onyszkiewicz stated to Ukrinform that this requires a political decision at the NATO level and allies' access to full information about the situation in Ukraine's airspace.

"It's feasible and necessary for missiles violating Poland's airspace to be intercepted by the Polish air defense system within our territory. However, Poland needs complete situational awareness of Ukraine's airspace, including data from Ukrainian radars and other sources, which is currently lacking," the official stated.

According to him, NATO will likely decide on full sky protection over western Ukraine in the future, but this will take time. Nevertheless, a decision to shoot down missiles heading towards Poland could be reached during the NATO summit in Washington in July.

• Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk previously reported that one of the Russian missiles, targeting Ukraine, landed approximately 15 km from the Polish border on April 27.