Majority of Poles Endorse Shooting Down Russian Airborne Objects Over Poland

The majority of Poles (58.5 percent) favor the Polish military shooting down Russian aerial objects, including missiles and drones, that violate Poland’s airspace, according to a survey conducted by SW Research for Rzeczpospolita.

These airborne weapons frequently fly through Polish sovereign airspace during Russian attacks on Ukraine.

The survey asked, “In your opinion, should Poland shoot down objects flying over our territory during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, even if there is no certainty about their nature?”

58.5 percent of respondents supported shooting down such objects. Conversely, 22.1 percent disagreed, while 19.4 percent expressed no clear opinion.

The survey results vary based on respondents’ gender, age, and education level. For instance, women are more likely to support shooting down aerial objects: 60.8 percent are in favor, 20.0 percent are against, and 19 percent are undecided.

Among men, the figures are slightly different: 55 percent support shooting down objects, 24.4 percent are strongly against it, and 19.8 percent remain undecided.

The survey was conducted by SW Research among users of the SW Panel online platform on August 27-28, 2024, which means the survey involved self-selected respondents and is not a random sample of the population. The study involved 800 internet users aged 18 and older, excluding those not on the internet.

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Recently, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk pointed out that the main issue with shooting down aerial targets is that there are often only seconds to determine whether the object is civilian. He also mentioned that Poland’s allies recommend some restraint in this matter. Tusk added that he appreciates the approach of the Polish military, which is not eager to fire at everything moving in the country’s airspace.

Early in the morning on Monday, Sept. 2, Polish military aircraft, along with allied aircraft, were deployed to secure Polish airspace after Russia launched massive strikes on Ukraine.

In the morning, several loud explosions were heard in Kyiv due to Russian attacks with cruise and ballistic missiles. Debris from the intercepted missiles fell in various parts of the city, causing fires.

The Ukrainian Air Force later clarified that Russia launched 58 air targets, including a mix of 35 missiles and 23 combat drones.