Fear of Debris and Law: Why Poland Isn’t Responding to Russian Drones

In Poland, there is an ongoing public debate about why the country is not responding with force to Russian drones that cross its airspace.

As explained by the editor-in-chief of Nowa Technika Wojskowa, Mariusz Cielma, on TOK FM, the decision to shoot down drones is not purely technical as it has legal and political consequences.

“There is a certain level of concern not only at the political level, but also at the executive level. The consequences of shooting them down could be unpredictable,” Cielma noted. According to him, the main threat is the debris, which could fall on residential areas. Poland is a densely populated country, and the risk of accidental casualties is real.

According to journalist Agnieszka Lichnerowicz, military officials often mention legal responsibility in such conversations. It’s not just about potential prosecution, but also the complicated procedure of justifying actions in the event of a tragedy.

“God forbid – if there are victims on the ground, this can never be ruled out,” she emphasized.

When asked what to do in such situations, Cielma simply replied, “We pray that they (the drones – ed.) return.

After 2022, Polish legislation was amended, granting the military greater powers to respond to such incidents. However, even with these new powers, the decision to shoot down a drone remains an exception, not the rule.

For example, in Romania, a law has come into force that grants the Armed Forces the right to shoot down enemy drones within the country’s territory, even in peacetime.

Previously, the Romanian military did not have the right to destroy drones or missiles violating its airspace unless a state of emergency had been declared.

Under the new law, NATO forces may also participate in airspace protection measures in Romania, in accordance with collective defense agreements.

Meanwhile, Russia’s ally – the Republic of Belarus – has repeatedly shot down Russian drones that entered its airspace.

On the night of August 29th, 2024, the Belarusian Air Force shot down a Shahed drone in the Yelsk district of the Gomel region, and on September 5th of the same year, a Belarusian fighter jet destroyed a drone over the city of Gomel.