Polish defence minister makes state visit to Ukraine
Polish Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz arrived in Kyiv on Thursday for talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Denys Shmyhal and other senior officials, focusing in part on Ukraine's experiences in combating drones during wartime.
Shortly after the beginning of the visit, Kosiniak-Kamysz announced that he and the Ukrainian defence ministry had inked a cooperation agreement aimed at, among other goals, developing skills in drone operation. He also mentioned that his visit included discussions on "advancing joint industry projects."
"I believe the Poles are eagerly awaiting this following our extensive support efforts," the minister said at the press conference, referring to Poland's aid to Ukraine amid its war with Russia.
For his part, Shmyhal said both ministries had finalised three agreements pertaining to the same matter and that he and Kosiniak-Kamysz had agreed to launch a cooperation group focused on drones which would be responsible for advancing drone and anti-drone initiatives and deepening ties between the Ukrainian and Polish manufacturers of such systems.
The Polish and the Ukrainian defence chiefs were also set to discuss Warsaw's continued support for the war-torn country and Europe's security concerns amid the ongoing Russian military aggression.
"Another matter is raising the skill level of our troops by utilising the lessons learned from Ukraine," Kosiniak-Kamysz added.
A source close to the Polish defence ministry told PAP that Kyiv and Warsaw were also planning military exercises on Polish soil for military experts from both sides, which would cover drone warfare and methods to counter such threats.
Earlier on Thursday, Kosiniak-Kamysz visited the Polish military cemetery in Bykivnia, in the Kyiv region, to honour the memory of some 3,500 Poles who died in the Katyn massacre.
This visit comes in the wake of recent incursions by Russian drones that occurred between September 9 and September 10, during which Polish airspace was repeatedly breached. The incident occurred amid a massive aerial assault by Moscow against Ukraine, adding to the waves of drone and missile attacks that the country has faced almost daily since February 2022. (PAP)
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