Polish officials explain to Romanian journalists why they don’t intercept Russian missiles

The Romanian journalists reported that Polish officials explained why their fighter jets don’t intercept Russian missiles and drones. According to Poland's national legislation, a fighter pilot is only authorized to open fire after establishing visual contact with an air target detected on radar.

Polish officials noted that this rule has some logic under the current circumstances. Before opening fire, it's crucial to confirm that the target is indeed a Russian missile, rather than, for example, a Ukrainian helicopter or aircraft that may have accidentally crossed the border during an air battle.

However, Polish officials admitted that this policy limits their ability to respond adequately to Kremlin provocations, which are intended to test NATO and probe Poland’s air defense systems.

In conversations with the Romanian journalists, the Poles acknowledged that in nearly every case, Russian forces have deliberately targeted Polish airspace with missiles and drones, likely as a way to gauge Warsaw’s reaction.

• On August 4, the Polish Foreign Ministry clarified that Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski’s comments about Warsaw's “constitutional duty” to intercept Russian missiles over Ukraine reflect his personal opinion, not the official stance of the Polish government.
• On August 3, the lower house of the Romanian parliament passed a draft law approving the supply of the Patriot air defense missile system to Ukraine free of charge.