The first batch of weapons purchased by Poland for Ukraine was delivered to Kyiv on the night of February 24, 2022, a few hours before the invasion.

Michał Dworczyk, MEP from Poland on the Committee on Security and Defense, former Head of the Prime Minister’s Office, stated this in an interview with Polskie Radio.

“I remember February 24, 2022, very well. On February 23, we already knew that the war would begin in a matter of hours. One of the Polish services that constantly monitored the activity of Russian units deployed near the Ukrainian border at that time reported that a radio silence regime had been declared in Russian units. This usually means that an offensive will begin in a few hours. So, late in the evening of February 23, we knew that the Russian offensive was likely to begin in a few hours,” the politician said.

According to him, this was preceded by an awareness of the likelihood, and at a certain point, almost certainty, of a Russian attack, which was primarily reported by American and British intelligence.

Therefore, according to him, the then Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki traveled around Western Europe trying to convince Western European leaders that they should prepare for this war, which would soon be beyond Poland’s eastern border. However, the leaders of Germany, France, and other Western European countries were skeptical.

Prime Minister Morawiecki, after negotiations with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal just before the war began, ordered an urgent purchase of weapons.

This was done through the State Agency for Strategic Reserves, particularly in the Balkans. The last plane to land in Kyiv before the Russian aggression was a Ukrainian military transport plane. It was sent to Rzeszow, where it was loaded with equipment purchased by the agency.

“There was ammunition, revolver grenade launchers, among other things. I don’t remember the exact nomenclature, but it was several pallets, a whole transport plane. And this plane landed on the night of February 23-24 in Kyiv, the night of the actual Russian attack. Later, we also started organizing and transferring military equipment to Ukraine on a regular basis,” said Michał Dworczyk.

Initially, assistance was provided by the State Agency for Strategic Reserves, and then the Polish army joined in.

According to Dworczyk, the first international transport plane to land in Rzeszów after the invasion began carried ammunition for Bayraktar drones from Turkey, which was then transported to Ukraine by road.

Poland’s Military Assistance

As of November 2024, Poland has provided Ukraine with military assistance worth €3.23 billion. In particular, Poland provided Ukraine with the largest amount of heavy equipment among all allies—about a thousand units.

Of the nearly 800 tanks received by Ukraine, more than 350 were donated by Poland. The Polish army has sent 14 Leopard 2A4 tanks to Ukraine. As well as vehicles of older design: 60 PT-91 tanks and 280 T-72M, T-72M1, and T-72M1R tanks.

Poland also handed over 250 BWP-1 infantry fighting vehicles, 100 Rosomak armored personnel carriers, more than a hundred self-propelled artillery pieces of various types, and more than 30 BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launchers.

In addition, Poland has reinforced the Ukrainian Air Force with 14 MiG-29 fighters and 12 Mi-24 helicopters.