Radical decision made: "A finger on the pulse, but also a finger on the trigger"

This was confirmed by Polish Deputy Defence Minister Cezary Tomczyk, who stressed that the move is a direct response to recent incidents and threats coming from Russia.

“The Polish Army keeps its finger on the pulse, but also has its finger on the trigger,” Tomczyk told TVN24, explaining the changes to the military’s response procedures.

Instead of the previous requirement for visual or optical identification, the military will now apply the concept of so-called “positive identification.” This means that radar data, combined with an enemy object entering a no-fly zone, will be sufficient grounds for the operational commander and pilot to use force.

According to Tomczyk, commanders have also recently been granted advance authorization to use the Patriot missile defense system as soon as information is received about the launch of an enemy missile.

In the event of a direct threat, Polish airspace will be closed to civilian air traffic in order to facilitate military aviation operations.

“We want the pilot to be certain that he can act, but also to know that his country fully stands behind him,” Tomczyk said.

He added that he expects Russian provocations, testing of Poland’s responses and the unity of Polish society to continue in the coming months. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk also recently warned of the possibility of Russian drone attacks.

Poland offers to produce Patriot Missiles

Tomczyk also addressed the issue of producing missiles for the U.S.-made Patriot air defense systems intended for Ukraine.

After Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that the United States had approved licensed production in Ukraine, the Polish official said that, from the U.S. perspective, transferring highly classified technologies to a war-torn country was probably not the best idea.

He stressed that Poland is ready to serve as a production base for these missiles, while a decision on potentially supplying missiles from the existing arsenal of the Polish military to Ukraine has not yet been made.