Poland leased drones to guard the border with Belarus and Ukraine

Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said that the Polish armed forces have taken a long-term lease of reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicles MQ-9A Reaper. They will be used to guard Poland’s eastern border with Belarus and Ukraine.

“MQ-9A Reaper drones of the MALE (Medium Altitude Long Endurance) class, which were leased from the United States as part of an urgent operational need, were delivered to Poland. They will be used by the Air Force, including to conduct reconnaissance on our eastern border,” Blaschak wrote on Twitter.

The drone leasing agreement was signed at the end of 2022. The Polish Ministry of Defense reported that this agreement is a transitional solution until the Polish armed forces receive their own intelligence system.

On November 15, a rocket fell on the Polish village of Przewodow near the Ukrainian border. Two people died. NATO and Poland believe that the fall of the missile is the result of the work of Ukrainian air defense. In December 2022, Polish President Andrzej Duda announced that a Patriot anti-aircraft missile system would soon be deployed on the Ukrainian border.

Anastasia Larina