Polish Troops may be Granted Right to Shoot Down Russian Drones Independently

Poland is considering amending its legislation to allow its military to shoot down Russian drones over Ukraine without NATO and EU approval.

Currently, Poland has a law prohibiting the military from shooting down Russian aircraft without prior approval from the European Union and NATO.

However, the authorities intend to lift these restrictions in order to apply the “shoot first, ask questions later” principle, according to the Polish newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza.

On February 23rd, 2022, the government of then-Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki introduced amendments to the bill that required the approval of NATO, the EU, and the foreign state on whose territory Polish troops would operate.

Subsequently, the Commission of Inquiry into Russian Influence criticized this provision, stating that it deprived Warsaw of the right to independently respond to drones crossing the border with Ukraine or Belarus.

The current ruling coalition led by Donald Tusk plans to lift these restrictions.

“This needs to be changed quickly, unless someone wants it to stay that way and our defenses to be less than fully effective,” an expert who participated in the preparation of the report on Russian influence told Gazeta Wyborcza.

Back in June 2025, the Ministry of Defense presented a draft law that would allow Polish troops to shoot down Russian aircraft without consulting NATO and the European Union.

According to the publication, this draft law may now be considered on an expedited basis.

The decision to speed up the process was probably made after Russian drones invaded the country en masse on September 10th, requiring NATO fighter jets to be called in to destroy them.