Majority of Poles Support Intercepting Russian Air Targets Over Poland, Survey Finds

Most Polish citizens support the idea of shooting down Russian aerial targets over the country, according to a survey conducted by SW Research for the publication Rzeczpospolita.

Respondents were asked if Poland should, in their opinion, intercept objects flying over the country during Russian attacks on Ukraine, even if the nature of these objects is unknown.

58.5% of respondents answered affirmatively, while 22.1% disagreed. Another 19.4% had no opinion on the matter.

The survey was conducted by SW Research among 800 adult Poles on August 27-28.

Radosław Sikorski, the Polish foreign minister, has stated that Poland and other countries bordering Ukraine have a “duty” to intercept Russian missiles before they enter their airspace, despite NATO’s opposition.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Sikorski stressed that Warsaw must prioritize the safety of its citizens, even if intercepting missiles over Ukrainian territory might risk drawing NATO into Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Polish airspace is regularly violated by Russian missiles during Russia’s massive aerial attacks on Ukraine. The Polish military has reported a breach of the country’s airspace during Russia’s missile and drone attack on Ukraine on the morning of August 26.