Germany's Patriot Air Defense Systems to Remain in Poland Until End of 2023 - Reports

WARSAW (Sputnik) - Poland has received confirmation from Berlin that the deployment of Germany's Patriot air defense systems on Polish territory will be extended until the end of this year, Polish media reported on Wednesday.

The Polish Defense Ministry has been informed that the German anti-aircraft contingent Patriot will remain in southeastern Poland at least until the end of 2023, Polish state news agency PAP reported.

German media group Funke reported in late April that Berlin allegedly intended to remove its Patriot air defense units from the eastern borders of Poland and Slovakia as early as 2023, after the relevant agreements expire. The German Defense Ministry, however, denied the reports, saying that the complexes were needed to protect the NATO allies' eastern borders.

Berlin offered Warsaw three of its Patriot units after a Ukrainian missile fell in Poland in November 2022, killing two people. Prior to this, shortly after Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine in February 2022, a Dutch-German air and missile defense task force also deployed a Patriot detachment in Slovakia as part of efforts to reinforce NATO's eastern flank.