Poland to deploy Patriot battery, form drone unit near Ukrainian border
Poland will deploy a Patriot air defense battery and expand its military presence in the eastern Lublin region bordering Ukraine, including a new unmanned systems unit, Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said.
The Patriot battery will be the first Polish-operated system of its kind deployed in the Lublin region, according to Kosiniak-Kamysz. He said the decision comes as the number of air operations over Ukraine has increased more than 15-fold.
“The deployment of the Patriot battery is intended to protect the Lublin region, provide a sense of security and ensure that air traffic in the region, which is often disrupted by alerts, is as secure as possible,” he said.
Poland also plans to establish an unmanned systems unit in Łuków, with Kosiniak-Kamysz saying it could eventually grow into a full brigade. The unit is expected to operate aerial, ground, surface and underwater unmanned systems.
The broader military buildup includes elements of the 18th Mechanized Division, a new mechanized battalion and air defense units in Biłgoraj, an expanded military aviation training base in Sobieszyn and a Land Forces helicopter base in Świdnik.
Kosiniak-Kamysz said the Lublin region and neighboring Subcarpathian region should receive top priority for Polish military investment next year.
Poland has been strengthening defenses along its eastern border amid repeated Russian attacks on western Ukraine. Russian strikes in September hit areas close to the Polish border, while two Polish-Ukrainian border crossings were evacuated on Sept. 24 during an attack on Ukraine’s Volyn region.