NATO Missile Defense Base to be Opened in Northern Poland.

Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski announced the opening of a NATO missile defense base in Redzikowo, northern Poland, in the coming weeks, as reported by PAP.

Sikorski noted that this base is the result of agreements with the United States. He also pointed out that negotiations were conducted to make it possible to shoot down not only Iranian missiles aimed at the U.S., but also Russian missiles aimed at Poland.

Mission of the New Base

Jens Stoltenberg, former Secretary General of the Alliance, reported in July about the readiness to launch the new base, which is a component of NATO's air and missile defense system. The construction of the base in Redzikowo, which lasted eight years, was accompanied by various scandals. Originally, it was planned to be operational by 2018.

No Connection to the War in Ukraine

Sikorski did not mention the war in Ukraine and President Zelensky's request to shoot down Russian planes over Ukrainian territory. This may be related to the fact that the base in Redzikowo is located more than 500 km from the border with Ukraine.

Earlier, it was announced that Poland would purchase heavy engineering equipment for constructing barriers on the border with Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine. The total contract sum will exceed $150 million.

It is also worth recalling that recruitment for the Ukrainian Legion has begun in Lublin. In the first days of the recruitment center's operation, 138 applications were received through the website and 58 through consular institutions.