Poland changed air defense rules due to Russian strikes on Ukraine

Poland has implemented new air defense procedures since October 1, amid Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukraine. The new rules simplify the identification of foreign aerial targets and allow for faster decisions to shoot them down.

This is reported by Gazeta Prawna.

Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosyniak-Kamysz announced the full readiness of the new procedures, which came into effect on October 1.

“October 1 is always a good time to implement these procedures,” the minister said.

Earlier, Deputy Minister of National Defense Cezary Tomczyk explained that the changes apply to Polish pilots who defend the country’s airspace during Russian strikes on Ukraine.

First, Poland is changing the rules for identifying foreign air targets. Under peacetime procedures, a pilot had to visually identify an object before shooting it down. Now, the military will use so-called positive identification, which does not require the pilot to approach a potentially dangerous target.

The pilot or his commander will be able to make a decision to shoot down a foreign aerial object based on data from radars and other surveillance systems.

In addition, the Polish military will be able to take into account information from the Ukrainian side about Russian drones and missiles during Russian attacks.