Norway has deployed its NASAMS air defense systems and F-35 stealth fighters in Poland to bolster the defense of Rzeszów, a vital transit point for international military aid to Ukraine.
The deployment, announced by the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces, includes 100 Norwegian military personnel stationed in the area.
This NATO-led mission is expected to last until Easter 2025, providing robust security to Rzeszów-Jasionka Airport, situated less than 100 kilometers from Ukraine’s border.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the airport has become a pivotal hub for military and humanitarian aid, with an estimated 90% of Western support to Ukraine passing through this facility.
The airport also serves as a vital gateway for foreign officials traveling to Ukraine. The deployment fulfills a pledge made by the Norwegian government on December 2 to strengthen the defense of the Rzeszów hub.
The Norwegian deployment faced logistical setbacks earlier this month. On December 6, a ship carrying air defense systems, the Finlandia Seaways, ran aground in Norway’s Karmsund Strait.
However, the equipment was successfully delivered on a replacement vessel to ensure the mission remained on schedule.
Poland’s defense infrastructure will receive further reinforcement in January 2025 when Germany deploys Patriot air defense missile systems. The German units are expected to remain in Poland for up to six months.
Germany had previously stationed 300 troops and three Patriot units in Zamosc, near the Ukrainian border, from January to November 2023.
However, Berlin chose not to extend this deployment beyond 2023, explaining that the Patriots would either be needed for NATO’s rapid reaction force in 2024 or require maintenance.
The German deployment was initially triggered by a November 2022 incident when a stray Ukrainian missile struck the Polish village of Przewodow and raised fears of the conflict spilling into NATO territory.
These coordinated efforts underscore NATO’s commitment to safeguarding the logistics lifeline critical to Ukraine’s defense.
Western Air Defenses Can’t Counter Russian Missiles?
Amid the deployment of advanced air defense systems in Poland, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that Western air defense systems stand “no chance” against Russia’s advanced ballistic missiles, specifically the Oreshnik missile used in recent strikes on Ukraine.
On November 21, Russia launched the Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile at Dnipro in Ukraine. This strike was reportedly a retaliatory move after the United States and the United Kingdom lifted restrictions on Ukraine to launch long-range strikes on Russia. The Oreshnik missile, according to Putin, is invulnerable to Western air defenses.
Speaking on December 19, Putin boldly asserted that Western technology could not intercept the Oreshnik missile. He even proposed what he described as a “technological experiment” in which Russia would choose a target in Kyiv, and Ukraine would attempt to intercept the missile using its Western-supplied air defense systems.
“It will be interesting for us,” Putin remarked, highlighting his confidence in the missile’s capabilities.
“Let’s call it a high-tech duel of the 21st century. Let them determine some site to hit, let’s say in Kyiv, concentrate all their air defenses there, and we will strike there with the Oreshnik and see what happens,” Putin said.
Putin also reiterated threats to target key “decision-making centers” in Ukraine, including military facilities and the military-industrial complex.
In response to Putin’s provocative remarks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed strong condemnation.
Speaking during a European Council summit in Brussels, Zelenskyy called Putin and his associates “vidmorozky,” a Ukrainian term meaning “degenerates” or “psychos.” He further stated, “I think Putin is very dangerous; he doesn’t care about human lives… I think he is crazy, really. He loves to kill.”
Zelenskyy’s sharp criticism continued on social media, where he shared a subtitled video from Putin’s press conference, criticizing the Russian president’s offer while people continue to die in the conflict. “Dumbass,” Zelenskyy wrote in his post.
Meanwhile, despite the growing tensions, Putin insisted that Russia remains open to negotiations to end the war, albeit without preconditions.
He reiterated that Russia has always been ready for talks and blamed former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson for undermining earlier peace attempts.
In a curious twist, when asked whether Russia would grant political asylum to Zelenskyy, Putin suggested that the West would likely take him in. He also remarked, “If he suddenly appeared out of nowhere… no one is refused in Russia,” adding an element of sarcasm to the suggestion.
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