Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has questioned Poland’s ability to defend its population in the event of a “massive” Russian air assault.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, September 18th, in Kyiv, Zelensky warned, “Poland can’t save people if something massive happens,” pointing to last week’s incident when Warsaw intercepted only four of 19 drones that breached its airspace.
Zelensky suggested that Russia’s actions may have been intended as a broader warning to the West. “In my opinion, they gave a signal … Don’t even think about providing Ukraine with additional air defenses. You may need to find a way to get it yourself,” he told reporters.
The Ukrainian leader emphasized that Kyiv is prepared to help Poland strengthen its defenses by offering training in counter-drone tactics. He also repeated his call for Western allies to expand “multi-system” air defense support, including the delivery of additional Patriot missile systems. “I think they did this, and I am not yet ready to say that the plan worked,” he added.
Against this backdrop, Poland and Ukraine have announced new steps to strengthen their military partnership in the face of growing drone threats. On Thursday, Polish defense minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz met his Ukrainian counterpart, Denys Shmyhal, in Kyiv, where the two signed key agreements on bilateral cooperation.
“We will sign an agreement on cooperation between the ministries, as well as on acquiring skills in operating drones. The talks will also cover the development of joint industry initiatives. I think Poles have been eagerly awaiting this—after a period when our effort to help the population was so enormous,” Kosiniak-Kamysz said.
The agreements focus on three areas: enhanced military cooperation for both the Polish armed forces and NATO, joint development of drone and counter-drone capabilities, and coordination at the NATO–Ukraine JTEC Centre for Analysis, Training and Education in Bydgoszcz, northern Poland. Further discussions with Rustem Umerov, Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, are expected to deepen cooperation, including Zelensky’s proposal for Ukrainian training of Polish soldiers in counter-drone warfare.
Poland’s Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski has also raised alarms that the drone attacks could signal a new form of hybrid warfare. In an interview with Polsat News, Sikorski said his discussions with President Zelensky during a recent visit to Ukraine included the possibility of NATO intercepting Russian aerial assets over Ukraine that might pose a threat to Polish territory.
The debate is still going on about who launched the non-weapon-carrying drones over Poland and with what intent. Ukraine and Poland don’t agree on the details, and their positions seem far away from a quick agreement.
