Poland deploys permanent helicopter base on border with Ukraine

A new air base will be created in the Polish town of Świdnik, Lublin Voivodeship, near the border with Ukraine. Helicopters will be stationed there on a permanent basis, the Ministry of Defense of Poland reported.

Polish Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz signed a letter of intent for cooperation between the Ministry of National Defense and the Lublin Voivodeship at Lublin Airport on Monday.

According to the defense chief, this permanent base will be located on an area of 100 hectares, which will appear as part of an agreement between the Ministry of National Defense and local government partners.

On the night of March 24, Russia hit Ukraine with 29 cruise missiles. One of them at 04:23 a.m. flew for 39 seconds to the territory of Poland near the village of Oserdów. The Polish military raised fighter jets just in case, but did not shoot it down as it returned to the territory of Ukraine.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland confirmed that a Russian missile violated the country's airspace on the night of March 24, saying that Warsaw would demand an explanation from Moscow.

Today, the spokesman of the Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces said that the Polish military command knew that the Russian missile that flew over the Lublin region on the morning of March 24 would "return to Ukraine", which is why it was not intercepted.