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Why Germany offered Patriots to protect Poland
Summary
A look back at the 22 November 2022 German offer of air defence for Polish airspace, and the nuclear plant shelling that preceded it.
What did Germany's offer of Patriot missile systems mean for security on the Polish border? On 22 November 2022, Germany said it would deploy Patriot surface-to-air systems on the Poland–Ukraine border to protect Polish airspace. Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak said he had accepted the proposal.
The trigger
The offer followed the missile explosion in Poland. On 15 November 2022, a missile struck the village of Przewodów near the Ukrainian border, killing two people. It happened during Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure. Ukraine initially accused Russia of striking Poland, while the United States said the missile was likely an air-defence missile fired by Ukrainian forces at an incoming Russian missile. In September 2023, Poland's Prosecutor's Office later stated that an out-of-control Ukrainian S-300 air-defence missile had caused the explosion.
What the deployment signalled
The German proposal and Warsaw's acceptance placed additional air defence along the border, in direct response to the incident. It was the first time during the invasion that a foreign missile had hit NATO territory, which helps explain the attention given to protecting Polish airspace.
A second front of risk
Security concerns in Ukraine extended beyond the border. On 20 November 2022, the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Enerhodar was shelled, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency, with damage to some buildings, systems and equipment.
Together, the two developments showed risks around the war reaching both a NATO member's territory and a nuclear facility.
