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German Patriot units protecting key Polish hub to become fully operational on Monday

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Two German Patriot air defense units deployed to southeastern Poland to protect a major hub for military and humanitarian supplies to Ukraine will be fully operational by Monday, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said on Thursday.

Germany began deploying Patriot units to Poland in January 2023, after a stray Ukrainian missile struck the Polish village of Przewodów the previous November in an incident that raised fears of the war in Ukraine spilling over the border.

Another surface-to-air missile landed in northern Poland in April 2023.

The two German Patriot units will remain close to the Polish-Ukrainian border for six months to protect the airspace in the region, Pistorius told reporters during a visit to the Polish military airport Jasionka near Rzeszów.

He also said Berlin would send Eurofighter jets to Poland in summer to help with air policing.

Polish Defense Minister Wladysław Kosiniak-Kamysz welcomed the deployment of the air defense units around Jasionka airport.

“Jasionka is the main aid hub for humanitarian and military aid, over 90% of aid to Ukraine goes through Jasionka,” he said. “These two Patriot batteries are a big thing, they ensure the safety of Poland and our airspace.”

In December, Norway deployed F-35 fighter jets and NASAMS air defense systems to Poland to help safeguard the hub, saying that it was critical for the delivery of military supplies to Ukraine which the country desperately needed.

Germany previously deployed 300 troops along with three Patriot units to Poland from January to November 2023.

They were based in the town of Zamość, about 50 km from the Ukrainian border, to protect the southern town and its crucial railway link to Ukraine, which has been fighting a full-scale Russian invasion for almost three years.

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