OMM Redaksiyası
Sweden will send a Patriot air defence system and around 100 military personnel to Poland to protect a NATO logistics hub supporting Ukraine, the Swedish Armed Forces said on Tuesday.
The deployment will guard the hub in Rzeszów against drones and missiles, taking over a mission currently carried out by the Netherlands. The operation is due to begin on Dec. 1 and could run for up to seven months, depending on decisions by Sweden’s next government, public broadcaster SVT reported.
“This is the most complex operation that Sweden has undertaken as a NATO ally,” said Sofia Westermark, commander of Sweden’s Air Defense Regiment.
Westermark said the location faces threats from both the ground and the air, adding that Sweden would contribute an air defence system to protect it from drones and missiles.
Authorities assess that Russia could seek to disrupt the hub’s operations, according to SVT. The facility handles about 18,000 tonnes of equipment each month, Westermark said.
Asked about the effect on Sweden’s domestic air defences, Westermark acknowledged that some military equipment would be stationed abroad. She said Sweden was best defending NATO by carrying out the mission in Poland.
