France will take over air defence of Poland’s Rzeszów airport — the main hub for Western aid deliveries to Ukraine — from 1 January 2027 under a NATO mission, French ambassador to Warsaw Étienne de Poncins said Friday, according to G4Media / Reuters / Agerpres.

“Starting on 1 January, within NATO, France will take over air defence in the Rzeszów region, which will mark the first time French equipment is used for this purpose,” the ambassador told reporters.

French air-defence systems will work alongside U.S. Patriot batteries, offering a chance to test interoperability. De Poncins did not say how long France will protect the logistics hub.

Rzeszów-Jasionka airport is currently covered by Dutch Patriot systems; Sweden is due to deploy its systems next month.

Source consulted: France will protect the main Western aid hub to Ukraine in Poland from January 2027 — G4Media.

Image: Rzeszów-Jasionka Airport (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0).

Sources consulted: France will protect the main Western aid hub to Ukraine in Poland from January 2027 — G4Media.