Russian drone reached NATO's missile shield in Poland; military failed to shoot it down
A drone reached NATO's missile defense base in Redzikowo, Poland this September, and the troops guarding it called emergency services after it was not shot down. The defense ministry is refusing to say whether the military even attempted to intercept it.
Questions about Poland's ability to defend against Russian drone incursions have resurfaced after a new incident near NATO's missile defense installation in Redzikowo.
This September, an unmanned aerial vehicle reached the strategically important site, prompting the soldiers guarding it to call the 112 emergency number. Polish forces did not shoot the drone down near Redzikowo, and the defense ministry has declined to clarify whether the military even attempted to do so.
Compared with last year
The incident stands in contrast with September of the previous year, when Polish armed forces shot down four of the 19 Russian drones that entered the country's airspace. While that downing rate was already low relative to the total number of drones involved, this year's case — in which a drone reached NATO's missile shield itself and was not intercepted at all — is being seen as an even more serious warning sign.
The Redzikowo base is part of NATO's missile defense infrastructure, and its protection is considered particularly important to the alliance's security. The fact that a drone was able to reach the site without being successfully countered, combined with the ministry's refusal to explain what happened, has revived public and expert doubts about the effectiveness of Poland's air defenses against drone threats.
The ministry's silence on whether an interception attempt was even made leaves the real situation, and the military's actual response capability in such cases, unclear.
