Poland explains why it did not shoot down a russian cruise missile

Poland explains why it did not shoot down a russian cruise missile

Kyiv  •  UNN

March 24 2024, 06:45 PM • 75025 views

A russian cruise missile violated Polish airspace for 39 seconds near the village of Osierdów in Lublin Voivodeship, but the Polish military decided not to shoot it down because of the risk of debris falling on their territory.

The Polish military command called the idea of shooting down a russian cruise missile over their country a risky one. This was stated by the spokesman for the Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces, Lieutenant Colonel Jacek Goryshevsky, writes RMF FM, reports UNN.

Details

The spokesperson explained that the decision not to shoot down the missile was made by the commander of the operational command of the Armed Forces. 

The decision was based on information from our radar systems. An assessment of the missile's trajectory, speed and altitude indicated that it would leave our airspace

- Goryshevsky noted.

According to him, an attempt to shoot down the missile would have posed a greater risk to local residents. 

The missile weighs more than two tons, of which 400 kilograms is the payload. After the missile is shot down, its debris will fall on our territory. The remnants of the warhead used to shoot down the missile will also fall here

- explained the spokesman for the Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces

At the same time, if the missile was heading deep into Poland, the decision to shoot it down could have been made by pairs of F-16s on duty.

Poland will demand that Russia explain why a russian missile violated Polish airspaceMarch 24 2024, 09:27 AM • 73575 views

AddendumAddendum

He also explained that russia deliberately maneuvers its missiles in such a way that they circle and hit targets in Ukraine from the west.

Ukrainian air defense realizes that most russian missiles come from the east or north; defenders are less likely to expect an attack from the west

- said the Polish military. 

Recall

On the night of March 24, a russian cruise missile launched from Ukraine violated Polish airspace. The missile entered Polish airspace near the village of Ocerdów in the Lublin Voivodeship. It stayed there for 39 seconds.