Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kościńska-Kamiś observed the first live firing of the Patriot air defense system, purchased by Warsaw from the United States, the Polish news agency PAP reported, quoted by BTA.
At the training ground near the northern city of Ustka, Tusk said that the maneuvers were part of the larger Iron Defender exercise.
He explained that Iron Defender was a response to the Russian-Belarusian Zapad maneuvers, which began on September 12 and ended on September 16.
„In these difficult and "In these critical times, it is very important for the world to see how NATO and Poland are prepared for different scenarios and threats," Tusk said, adding that tens of thousands of soldiers are taking part in the Polish exercises.
Yesterday alone, 18,000 soldiers took part in the exercises, he said.
Tusk also said that Polish soldiers were currently supporting their allies in Lithuania, Latvia and the Swedish island of Gotland.
"We are all working to improve our defense capabilities. These exercises are defensive in nature and are a response to aggressive maneuvers on the other side of the border," the Polish prime minister said.
Koszyniak-Kamiś emphasized that this was the first time Poland had used the Patriot systems in the exercises. The exercises also used the HOMAR-A and HOMAR-K multiple launch rocket systems, self-propelled K9 howitzers, Krab self-propelled howitzers and Abrams tanks.
The Polish Minister of Defense explained that Poland has the third largest army in NATO, but “exercises like those in Ustka“ are needed “to be at the forefront of operational capabilities“.