Ukraine has agreed to train Polish soldiers and engineers in drone defence.
During a news conference in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, Polish Defence Minister, Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said that Poland would sign a cooperation agreement with Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence and the training would take place in Lipa, a village in southern Poland.
Ukrainian Defence Minister, Denys Shmyhal said while standing next to Kosiniak-Kamysz, “We are talking about training engineers and training soldiers who will withstand and defend the air domain.”
“We are not only talking about interceptor drones because this is only the tip of this iceberg which allows us to defend our sky together.”
Denys Shmyhal
The announcement comes a week after Polish and NATO forces shot down more than 20 drones violating the country’s airspace during a Russian aerial attack on neighbouring Ukraine.
Fighter jets fired missiles to take down those drones, a process that costs much more than Russia pays to supply and launch cheap, mass-produced drones.
Russia stated that its forces had been attacking Ukraine at the time of the drone incursion and it had not intended to hit Polish targets.
In response, NATO announced new measures to strengthen defenses with the launch of Operation Eastern Sentry.
Ukraine says it has world-leading capabilities in counteracting large Russian drone attacks cheaply, using a complex layered system involving interceptor drones, heavy machine guns and electronic warfare.
Shmyhal stated that Ukraine and Poland will integrate cutting-edge defense technologies and initiate new projects “aimed at strengthening the protection of our people and critical infrastructure.” He emphasized, “Central to this joint operational group will be joint training programs, which, I am confident, will enhance our ability to counter a common enemy.”
Ukraine, according to Shmyhal, will also provide access to some of its systems for tracking Russian aerial targets so Poland could see what is potentially heading towards its territory
He disclosed that training for Polish forces would involve the entire “ecosystem” of how to intercept unmanned enemy aerial vehicles, from identifying their locations and jamming them electronically to downing them with interceptor drones.
Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been promoting the use of interceptor drones and wants to ramp up their production with Western help.
Ukraine, Poland Set To Bolster Security Cooperation
Moreover, the Ukrainian Defence Minister said that Kyiv and Warsaw are taking their security cooperation to a “new level” in response to Russian attacks, which he said threaten Ukraine and other European countries.
Shmyhal said that the central element of this working group will be joint training programs, adding that it will also promote the exchange of knowledge and experience in the field of drones, as well as develop and test methods of using and countering drones, among other matters.
Shmyhal said that he and Kosiniak-Kamysz also signed a joint declaration on bolstering security and defense cooperation between the two countries, agreeing to deepen cooperation in key areas.
He revealed that they even signed a letter of appeal to NATO Defence Ministers, calling on members to send experts to the Joint Analysis, Training And Education Centre, a joint NATO–Ukraine organization inaugurated in February, and to take an active part in its projects.
“I am sincerely grateful to Poland and personally to Mr. Kosiniak-Kamysz for the support. Together we strengthen the security of our countries and the entire European continent.”
Denys Shmyhal
He added that a third agreement involves activating work within the ‘Ramstein coalition of capabilities’ to meet both urgent needs of the Ukrainian armed forces and their long-term modernization.
He noted that Poland is a leader in the armored vehicle coalition and a participant in drone and demining coalitions, “so we expect active participation and faster delivery of assistance in these areas.”
READ ALSO: IMANI Urges Stronger Laws To Protect Forest Reserves
