470 Billion Won Aid to Ukraine... West Emphasizes "Strengthening Air Defense"

The village of Przebodow in Poland, about 6 km from the Ukrainian border. On the 15th (local time), Polish police were inspecting the farmland around the village that was hit by missile strikes. (Photo by Reuters)

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] As the missile strike on a Polish border town was concluded to be a friendly fire incident by the Ukrainian military, concerns about Ukraine's air defense system are rising among Western countries. Some voices have reiterated calls to expand NATO's air defense network to Ukraine in preparation for a direct confrontation with Russia.

On the 16th (local time), according to Bloomberg and Euronews, Sweden announced it would provide comprehensive support to Ukraine totaling 3.72 billion kronor (approximately 472.2 billion KRW), including 3 billion kronor in military aid and 720 million kronor in humanitarian assistance.

This military aid announcement came immediately after the investigation revealed that the missile strike in Poland was a friendly fire incident by the Ukrainian military. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson explained at a press conference that "this is larger than the combined total of the eight previous military aid packages provided to Ukraine so far." According to the Swedish Ministry of Defense, the new military aid includes basic military supplies, air defense systems, ammunition, and other equipment.

As Russia has continued concentrated airstrikes on Ukraine's power infrastructure over the past few months, senior Polish officials have expressed growing calls for the West to provide air defense systems to Ukraine, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin also stated at the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) meeting held via video conference that "the advanced surface-to-air missile system NASAMS previously provided by the U.S. to Ukraine has shown a 100% success rate in intercepting Russian missiles," adding, "We need to do more to meet Ukraine's air defense needs," leaving the door open for new aid.

The missile that fell in Poland was a Soviet-era surface-to-air missile S-300, produced in the 1970s. There are criticisms that it is insufficient to defend against about 100 indiscriminate missile attacks across Ukraine.

To prevent a recurrence of the Poland incident, calls to expand NATO's air defense network to Ukraine have been raised again. The missile strike in Poland has brought Russia and NATO to a brink of confrontation, raising concerns that the Ukraine war could escalate into an international conflict.

In this regard, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg drew a clear line at a press conference after chairing the North Atlantic Council (NAC) at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, stating, "NATO is not a party to the Ukraine war."

Russian missile debris remaining on the roadside in Mykolaiv, Ukraine. (Photo by Bloomberg)

Meanwhile, there are also opinions that even if Ukraine strengthens its missile defense system beyond the current level, "perfect protection" is impossible. Douglas Barrie, senior research fellow for military aerospace at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a think tank based in London, UK, pointed out, "In a country as vast as Ukraine, the air defense systems and military forces that can be deployed are limited, so no matter how many air defense systems there are, an impenetrable defense is impossible."

Although NATO provisionally concluded that the missile strike in Poland was an accident that occurred during Ukraine's launch of air defense missiles to intercept Russian cruise missiles, Ukraine has completely denied NATO's provisional conclusion.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with Ukrainian media on the same day, "Based on our military reports, I am confident that the missile that fell in Poland was not ours," and claimed, "That missile was fired by Russia." Earlier that day, President Zelensky targeted Russia in a video speech at the Group of Twenty (G20) summit, saying, "There are terrorists among you."