German Patriot batteries begin guarding Ukraine aid hub in Poland

WARSAW, Poland — As two German Patriot air-defense batteries are set to begin full operations in Rzeszów, south-eastern Poland, the two countries’ defense ministers met today near the town that has become a logistics hub for Ukraine aid.

Germany has deployed two Patriot batteries to Rzeszów along with around 200 German troops to protect the city’s military logistics infrastructure. Once the systems reach full operational capacity on Jan. 27, they are to ensure anti-missile protection over the area for at least six months, according to Germany’s Ministry of Defense.

Since the start of Russia’s war against Ukraine in February 2022, Rzeszów, a large Polish city in close proximity to the country’s border with Ukraine, has been transformed into a key location in the flow of Western gear to the Ukrainian military.

The Rzeszów-Jasionka airport, in particular, is instrumental in the transport chain. An estimated 90 to 95 percent of Western weapons and military equipment for Ukraine are transported via the hub, according to data from the Polish ministry.

The Jan. 23 visit there by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius came shortly after the defense ministers of Poland, France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom, collectively dubbed the E5, met in Warsaw to discuss joint military drills to be held in 2026 and their defense industries’ cooperation with Ukraine.

“States are safe when three principles are met: the strength of their societies, the strength of their militaries, and the strength of their alliances,” Polish Deputy Prime Minister and National Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said, as quoted in a statement released by his ministry.

“We are developing these three pillars, while at the same time strengthening our allied relations with the Federal Republic of Germany,” according to Kosiniak-Kamysz.

Pistorius tempered expectations that Berlin’s Patriot fire units could remain in Rzeszów for longer than six months. The systems will be needed for Germany’s own defense at that time, he said, suggesting other Patriot user nations should offer replacements.

Jaroslaw Adamowski is the Poland correspondent for Defense News.

波兰华沙——随着两套德国“爱国者”防空导弹系统即将在波兰东南部热舒夫全面投入使用，两国国防部长今天在该镇附近举行了会晤。热舒夫已成为乌克兰援助物资的后勤中心。

德国已向热舒夫部署了两套“爱国者”导弹防御系统，并增派约200名德军士兵，以保护该市的军事后勤基础设施。德国国防部表示，这些系统将于1月27日全面投入运行，届时将为该地区提供至少六个月的反导保护。

自 2022 年 2 月俄罗斯对乌克兰发动战争以来，波兰靠近乌克兰边境的大城市热舒夫已转变为西方装备流向乌克兰军队的关键地点。

热舒夫-亚西翁卡机场在运输链中扮演着至关重要的角色。据波兰国防部的数据显示，运往乌克兰的西方武器和军事装备中，约有90%至95%经由该枢纽机场运输。

德国国防部长鲍里斯·皮斯托里乌斯于 1 月 23 日访问乌克兰。此前不久，波兰、法国、德国、意大利和英国的国防部长（统称为 E5）在华沙举行会议，讨论将于 2026 年举行的联合军事演习以及他们的国防工业与乌克兰的合作。

波兰副总理兼国防部长瓦迪斯瓦夫·科西尼亚克-卡梅什在其部门发布的一份声明中表示：“国家安全取决于三个原则：社会的力量、军队的力量和联盟的力量。”

科西尼亚克-卡米什表示：“我们正在发展这三大支柱，同时加强与德意志联邦共和国的盟友关系。”

皮斯托瑞斯降低了人们对柏林“爱国者”导弹防御系统在热舒夫驻扎时间可能超过六个月的预期。他表示，届时这些系统将用于德国自身的防御，并建议其他“爱国者”导弹系统用户国应提供替换设备。

Jaroslaw Adamowski 是《防务新闻》驻波兰记者。