Netherlands Sends Patriot Missiles and Troops to Poland to Bolster Air Defences

The Netherlands plans to send two Patriot air defence systems along with about 300 military personnel to Poland to help safeguard a key hub used for delivering military assistance to Ukraine, according to Poland’s defence minister.
Earlier this week, a Russian-made drone crashed in a field in eastern Poland, raising concerns about airspace security amid the ongoing war in neighbouring Ukraine.
“Due to the ongoing events in Ukraine, the ongoing conflict, and Poland’s role in logistically securing the transfer to Ukraine (…), the Netherlands has declared support for systems securing our airspace and air defence systems,” Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz told a news conference, welcoming the Dutch decision.
The deployment is set to begin on December 1 and continue until June 1 of next year.
The drone, which came down on Tuesday night, landed in a cornfield in eastern Poland, damaging crops and shattering windows in nearby homes. The incident has heightened tensions as efforts to resolve the war in Ukraine intensify.
A prosecutor stated on Thursday that the drone most likely originated from the direction of Belarus, a close ally of Moscow that has supported Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine.