Sikorski: New US missile defense base in Poland will be able to shoot down Russian missiles

An American missile defense base will soon be opened in Poland, which will be able to shoot down Russian ballistic missiles aimed at the country's territory. The base will be located in Redzikowo, in northern Poland.

This was announced by Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski on Radio Rebeliant on October 12. According to him, the facility, the concept of which was changed due to Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine, will be inaugurated in the coming weeks.

"In the coming weeks, we will open a missile defense base in Redzikowo (Pomeranian Voivodeship)," said Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski.

He also noted that during the negotiations he had sought to ensure that the missiles could shoot down not only Iranian missiles aimed at the United States, but also Russian missiles that could be launched toward Poland.

"Our opponents have accused us of destroying the base project, but it already exists and will soon be officially opened," the Foreign Minister said.

As a result of the July NATO summit in Washington, DC, it was announced that the Redzikow missile base was fully operational. This base is the US contribution to NATO's integrated air and missile defense system. At the summit, then-NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced that the Redzikow base was ready to fulfill its mission.

"Ballistic missiles have been widely used in conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. As a defense alliance, we cannot ignore this threat," Stoltenberg said at the time.

The Redzikovo base is located 165 kilometers from the border with Russia's Kaliningrad region. It is equipped with a radar station and three Mk-41 launchers, each containing eight containers for Standard Missile 3 interceptor missiles.

According to NATO, the Aegis Ashore system is "exclusively defensive in nature." The missile defense base was transferred to the alliance's control in July 2024 to protect European countries from ballistic missile threats originating outside the Euro-Atlantic region.

Earlier, Sikorski said that Poland and other states bordering Ukraine are obliged to shoot down Russian missiles and drones approaching their territory. This should be done before the enemy targets enter the airspace of Ukraine's neighboring countries.

As reported by OBOZ.UA, a poll conducted in late August showed that more than half of Polish residents want their country to shoot down objects flying over the country's territory during Russia's attack on Ukraine, "even if there is no certainty what kind of objects they are."

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