At the moment, nearly 400 soldiers, 24 hours a day, are searching for traces of this drone, or two drones, as some believe, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said during a press conference on Wednesday. On Monday, when Russia launched a massive missile attack on Ukraine, the Operational Command of the Armed Forces reported that an “air object” had flown into Polish territory.
The Operational Commander of the Armed Forces, General Maciej Klisz, said at a briefing on Monday that “we are probably dealing with an object entering Polish territory”. – The object was confirmed by radar by at least three radar stations – he stated shortly before 1 p.m.
On Monday morning Russia launched a massive missile attack on Ukraine. Russian missiles were also heading towards cities in the western part of the country. Poland then she took off the fighters.
“We have no confirmation so far”
– At the moment, almost 400 soldiers, 24 hours a day, are looking for any traces of this drone or two drones, as some believe. But we are still not 100 percent sure that they (drones – ed.) entered Polish airspace, we do not know whose they were, if they were there at all – he said Donald Tusk.
The head of government referred to a question concerning a change in regulations that allow the military to shoot down objects – such as drones or missiles – that were in Polish airspace during mass attacks on Ukraine.
– The problem with shooting down is often of a different nature. Firstly, these are very often fractions of a second, which, for example, make it impossible to check whether it is not a civilian object or a stray plane – said the head of government.
Search for an air object that flew over Polish territory TVN24
Allies recommend 'restraint'
Tusk pointed out that the allies “recommend a certain restraint”. – If there is no direct threat to life, health, if it is not an attack or aggression – the prime minister listed. He added: – I really appreciate such a reasonable and balanced approach of our military, who are not interested in opening fire on everything that moves in the sky every time.
The Prime Minister assured that he had “full confidence in the military who are responsible for these issues”, and also stated that “if any new legislation is needed, he is ready to change it immediately”.
The object disappeared after about 25 kilometers.
General Maciej Klisz said on Monday that the object crossed the Polish border at 6:43 a.m. Polish time at the height of the Ukrainian city of Chervonohrad, which has been attacked several times by the Russian side due to the power plant located there.
The object disappeared after approximately 25 kilometers in Polish territory.
Klisz said that the military could technically have shot down the intruder, but that was prevented by regulations that require visual identification of the object – for example, by a military aircraft flying nearby – to ensure that, for example, a stray civilian aircraft is not shot down. Such regulations – he noted – would not apply in times of war.
Main image source: PAP/Wojtek Jargiło