Poland has provided Ukraine with military aid worth a total of 4.5 billion dollars (about 16.45 billion zlotys or nearly 4 billion euros) since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022. The data was officially declassified and announced by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense Vladislav Kosyniak-Kamysh. Details on the subject are reported by the Ukrainian agency UNN.
Chronology and structure of supplies
According to the report presented by the Ministry of National Defense, the lion's share of military support (about 90%) was sent in the period 2022-2023. Then the value of arms transfers amounted to nearly 15 billion zlotys (about 3.5 billion euros).
After Donald Tusk's government came to power in December 2023, Poland has delivered additional equipment worth 413 billion dollars (1.55 billion zlotys).
The Polish composition of the transferred heavy weapons includes:
- Tanks: Models T-72, PT-91 Twardy and modern German machines Leopard 2A4.
- Aviation: MiG-29 fighters and Mi-2 helicopters.
- Artillery and air defense: Multiple launch rocket systems, Krab self-propelled howitzers, as well as S-200 systems.
- Logistics and training: The country has trained over 30,000 Ukrainian servicemen and maintains the key logistics hub in Rzeszow.
The political scandal behind the declassification
The official publication of the figures came after Krzysztof Bosak, deputy speaker of the Sejm from the far-right Confederation party, accused the government of secretly transferring to Kiev in March shortage of PAC-3 missiles for the Patriot air defense systems. The opposition criticized the cabinet, saying that these missiles were vital for Polish security against Russian ballistic threats.
In response, Prime Minister Donald Tusk and the Defense Minister confirmed the transfer, but stressed that the decision was made after consultations with NATO and the United States. Kosignac-Kamish assured that the quantities sent do not compromise Poland's defense capabilities, adding: „Poland's security line today runs along the Ukrainian-Russian front. The more Russian missiles and drones are destroyed there, the safer Poland will be“.
The minister also rejected claims that Warsaw was only donating obsolete Soviet scrap equipment, emphasizing the high efficiency of the equipment sent. Regarding the remaining Polish MiG-29 aircraft, Poland is negotiating a transfer in exchange for access to Ukrainian drone technology over the next two years.