FILE PHOTO: Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak attends a meeting with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Kyiv, Ukraine July 12, 2022. Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS
WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland is preparing to deploy the German Patriot air defense system on its territory, after Berlin refused to place this system in Ukraine, Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said on Twitter.
Germany last month offered Poland the Patriot system to help secure its airspace after a stray missile crashed and killed two people in Poland. Polish Defence Minister later asked Germany to send the fire units to Ukraine instead.
"After talking to the German Defense Ministry, I was disappointed to accept the decision to reject Ukraine's support. Deploying the Patriots to the western Ukraine would increase the security of Poles and Ukrainians," Blaszczak tweeted on Tuesday evening.
"So we proceed to working arrangements for placing the launchers in Poland and connecting them to our command system," added Blaszczak.
(Reporting by Pawel Florkiewicz; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)
