Poland to Decide on Patriot Interceptors for Ukraine ‘Within Days’

Poland is poised to decide within days whether to provide Patriot air-defense missiles to Ukraine, Deputy Defense Minister Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka has announced. The decision follows Russia's intensified ballistic missile strikes on Ukraine, which have depleted Kyiv's stockpiles of such munitions. Sobkowiak-Czarnecka stated that the decision will be made at the highest level and will be coordinated with the US and other NATO allies.

The topic is politically sensitive due to an ongoing diplomatic dispute between Poland and Ukraine. In July, a Russian missile landed in Poland for the first time since the NATO country's accession, leading Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz to suggest intercepting such threats over Ukrainian territory. The issue is also a concern for other NATO allies who have limited reserves of Patriot missiles.

US President Donald Trump appeared to dismiss Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's request for more missiles, while the Netherlands confirmed it has no more PAC-3 Patriot missiles to donate. Despite the tensions, Zelenskyy urged Poland to help, noting that Germany and the Poles possess the missiles Ukraine needs. Each PAC-3 missile costs around €3.5 million to €4.3 million, and defenders may need two to effectively intercept a descending ballistic missile.

Ukraine's Ministry of Defense reported that Russia launched 195 ballistic missiles against Ukraine in July, of which 29 were intercepted by Ukrainian air defenses, while 40 failed to hit their targets.