Poland Wants Its Own Drone Wall to Counter Russian Threat

Poland plans to start building a national anti-drone system within months, without waiting for the European Union’s ”drone wall” initiative, the country’s deputy defense minister said. In September, NATO deployed fighter jets to shoot down about 20 drones that crossed into Polish territory during a massive Russian airstrike on Ukraine – the first such response since the full-scale invasion began in 2022. The incident exposed gaps in the country’s defenses as it was forced to deploy expensive missiles against cheap unmanned aircraft. The EU’s drone wall can “complement” the Polish system in the future, he said. “If there’re any external tools, we will use them to the fullest,” according to the deputy minister.

In July, the defense ministry said it would spend 200 million zloty ($54.2 million) this year to buy combat and training drones. Warsaw has also sped up procurement procedures for the weapons. “The way in which both Russians and Ukrainians are using unmanned weapon systems today shows that strengthening our capabilities in this area must be a priority in all spheres of activity: in the air, on land, and at sea,” Tomczyk said.