At the end of December 2025, Poland announced a large-scale project to build a new air defense system designed to combat unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). This decision was a response to the growing threat from Russia, including numerous incidents of Russian drones entering Polish airspace in 2025.
Polish Deputy Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk said in an interview with The Guardian that the system will be built along the country’s eastern border with Belarus and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. The total cost will exceed €2 billion (about £1.75 billion). The main funding will come from European funds under the SAFE (Security Action for Europe) program, a new EU defense credit mechanism, with part of the funds coming from the national budget.
The system will be multi-layered and integrated with existing fortifications built about ten years ago. It will include:
Machine guns and artillery pieces for kinetic destruction;
Short-range missile systems;
Electronic warfare (EW) systems for jamming drone signals.
The first elements of the system are scheduled to be put into operation in six months (possibly earlier), with full readiness expected in 24 months.
The project is directly related to the incidents of 2025, when a significant number of Russian UAVs invaded Polish airspace (according to some reports, up to dozens of cases). These incidents led to the temporary closure of airports, the activation of fighter jets, and damage on the ground after the drones were shot down. Polish authorities regard them as provocations and tests of response without escalating to open conflict.
Deputy Minister Tomczyk emphasized that as long as Ukraine holds back Russia, Europe will not face a conventional war. However, if Kyiv is defeated, the threat could spread further. Poland’s project could become a template for neighboring countries — Lithuania and Latvia, which are also recording drone incursions.
This step highlights the evolution of threats in modern warfare: from traditional missiles to the widespread use of cheap UAVs. Poland, as a country on NATO’s eastern flank, is becoming one of the leaders in adapting to these challenges.