Poland and other NATO countries have started air-defense operations designed to reinforce Polish airspace, which borders both Ukraine and Russia.
Operation Eastern Aurora involves support from British and American armed forces. It will run parallel with the movement of 17,000 soldiers to the Polish-Belarusian border, which has an increasing migration crisis.
The plan involves the constant monitoring of Polish airspace along the Ukranian and Russian borders, with coordinated responses to any violations. The Polish armed forces also confirmed that enhanced information exchange would take place between Poland and its allies.
The operational commander of Poland's armed forces, General Maciej Klisz said that the operation was designed to support both Polish military and wider NATO operations in the East, saying it "related to an operation being conducted by allies and an operation being carried out by the North Atlantic Alliance on the eastern flank of NATO."
"Hence allied forces, including American and British, are involved in strengthening the Polish air-defense system within the Eastern Aurora operation."
Polish air-defense systems have had to deal with conflict on two borders since the escalation of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In May this year, it was reported that Polish defense officials were considering shooting down Russian missiles after Russia continued to fire into western Ukraine, which often clashes with Polish airspace.
The collaboration comes after a meeting in Warsaw between British Defence Secretary John Healey and Polish Minister of National Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, at a NATO conference in July. The meeting saw the two nations discuss the impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Poland, and opened the door for future bilateral cooperation.
After the meeting, Kosiniak-Kamysz said: "We have the same view on security in Europe and globally. During the last NATO Summit in Washington we have made decisions together.
"We are determined to enhance our capabilities and strengthen our Armed Forces. Poland and Great Britain are united in cooperation for a cause of freedom, peace and democracy. These are our core values, to which we are faithful."
On July 30, U.S. tanks and other NATO combat vehicles were seen moving through Poland. The U.S. Army has moved several vehicles from a military base in Mannheim, Germany, to warehouses in Powidz, according to Polish news outlet Radio Zet.
Do you have a story we should be covering? Do you have any questions about NATO and relations with Russia? Contact LiveNews@newsweek.com.
Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
