Prime Minister on the transfer of the Patriot system to Ukraine: by organising security there, inspiring and organising aid, we are taking care of the security of Poland and Poles, and we will not rest until this security is secured to the highest possible degree
07.01.2023
Ukraine has been under Russian attack for more than ten months. The destruction, as a result of Russian attacks, is significant. The Kremlin continues its efforts to cut off defenceless civilians from electricity, heat, food or running water. Poland is determined to continue its support to the fighting Ukraine. Thanks to our international efforts, Patriot systems will be delivered to Ukraine, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki announced.
Patriot batteries for Ukraine
“I am glad that today, after long months of insistence, diplomatic work and hundreds of conversations, our Western allies - France, Germany and other countries - are finally ready to transfer heavy modern combat equipment to Ukraine. The equipment the Ukrainians say they need the most," said the Prime Minister. As he added, it is now a matter of making sure that our diplomatic pressure, actions and discussions lead to the transfer of the highest possible lot of heavy and modern equipment to our eastern neighbour.
The proposal made by the Polish government in November 2022 to transfer Patriot systems to Ukraine will be implemented. On 5 January 2023, US President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz agreed that their countries would transfer M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, the MIM-104 Patriot air and missile defence system battery and SPz Marder 1 infantry fighting vehicles.
Poland is helping and will continue to help the fighting Ukraine
"It is worth formulating concrete concepts and implementing them consistently, to show our proactiveness, our effectiveness, and this is what we are doing. We will not rest until we secure peace, tranquillity and security of Polish borders, because this is what our children will ask us about, this is what future generations will hold us accountable for," Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki pointed out, emphasising the role and impact of the security of our neighbours on the security of our country.
Since the very beginning of the Russian aggression against Ukraine, Poland has supported our eastern neighbours in the fight for their country's independence. In February 2022, the government decided to transfer military equipment from the resources of the Polish Armed Forces to Ukraine free of charge. Since the start of the war, Polish military-technical assistance to Ukraine has begun to increase dynamically.
To date, we have donated heavy weapons, artillery shells and ammunition as well as small arms ammunition, man-portable air-defence systems, unmanned aerial vehicles, loitering munition, artillery systems and other defensive and offensive weapons, as well as medical, firefighting and personal protective equipment to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
MIM-104 Patriot - an important element in the defence of many NATO countries
The Patriot is a US surface-to-air missile system. The system is designed to combat manned and unmanned aerial vehicles, including aircraft and helicopters, as well as missiles. The mobility of the system ensures easy transport by both road and air. It can simultaneously track up to 120 targets and guide nine missiles against them.
The Patriot system's batteries have been used extensively in combat operations in the Middle East, where they have proven to be extremely effective and crucial in defence. Thanks to combat experience, the system has been upgraded. The Patriot system is still an important part of the defence of many NATO countries, including Poland.
