Poland has duty to shoot down Russian missiles over Ukraine, minister says – despite risk of dragging Nato into war

Ukraine has been pushing for allies to be more involved in its defence, including giving Kyiv permission to use Western-supplied missiles to strike deep inside Russia

Firemen work to extinguish a fire after the latest missile attack on Kyiv (AFP via Getty Images)

Poland and other nations bordering Ukraine have a duty to shoot down incoming Russian missiles – despite the risk of interceptions over Ukrainian territory dragging Nato into the war with Moscow – the country's foreign minister has said.

Warsaw activated aircraft early on Monday to protect Polish air space as Russia launched a fresh barrage of missiles and drones, with Ukraine having faced some of the most intense strikes since the start of Vladimir Putin's invasion during the past two weeks.

Radosław Sikorski has said that Poland has an obligation to ensure the safety of its citizens, whatever fears other Nato nations may have about what shooting down missiles over Ukraine pushing the alliance into direct conflict with Russia.

“Membership in Nato does not trump each country’s responsibility for the protection of its own airspace – it’s our own constitutional duty,” Mr Sikorski told the Financial Times. “I’m personally of the view that, when hostile missiles are on course of entering our airspace, it would be legitimate self-defence [to strike them] because once they do cross into our airspace, the risk of debris injuring someone is significant.”

Several rounds of explosions rocked Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, in the early hours. Debris from intercepted missiles and drones fell in every district of Kyiv, injuring three people and damaging two nurseries, Ukraine's Interior Ministry said. City authorities reported multiple fires.

Russia launched 35 missiles of various types and 26 Shahed drones at Ukraine on the night from Sunday to Monday, the Ukrainian air force said. Nine ballistic missiles, 13 cruise missiles and 20 drones were downed, it said. Last Monday, Russia fired more than 200 missiles and drones at Ukraine, killing seven people and striking energy facilities nationwide in what Kyiv called the war's "most massive" attack.

Mr Sikorski said it is preferable to shoot rockets and drones down at a higher altitude over Ukraine, as the risk of casualties increases the closer a missile was to its target when it is intercepted. “Ukrainians have told us: you’re welcome,” he added.

Polish soldiers take part in a military parade in Warsaw earlier this month. Kyiv wants its allies to be more involved in its aerial defence (AFP via Getty Images)

A bilateral security deal signed by Poland and Ukraine in July included an agreement to “examine the rationale and feasibility of possible intercepting in Ukraine’s airspace missiles and UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles] fired in the direction of the territory of Poland”.

Warsaw insisted that any such move would only be introduced with “the stamp of approval of the international community, preferably Nato”. However, Nato's secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said in the wake of that deal that Nato "will not be involved in this conflict".

"Nato will support Ukraine ... but Nato's policy is unchanged," Mr Stoltenberg said.

Ukraine has been pushing for allies to be more involved in its defence, not least by giving Kyiv permission to use Western-supplied missiles to strike deep inside Russia. Ukraine has had some success in drone strikes on Russian airfields,. destroying some of the fighter jets and bombs used in Moscow's aerial assault. But officials are clear that it isn't enough.

"In defending itself against these ... barbaric war machines, Ukraine is forced to fight with hands tied behind its back. Isn't this absurd?" Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday, after the latest attack over Kyiv.

On the ground, Ukraine is driving further into Russia's Kursk region following its surprise cross-border incursion three weeks ago, and the Russian army is pushing deeper into the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine.

Britain's Ministry of Defence said on Sunday that Russian forces accelerated their advance on the key Donetsk stronghold of Povkrosk over the past week and are likely within six miles of the city.

Reuters and Associated Press contributed to this report