Poll: 59% of Poles Favor Air Raid Sirens Before Missiles Cross Border

A significant majority of Poles, nearly 59%, believe air raid sirens should be activated in the country's eastern regions if Russian missiles or drones are detected heading toward the border, even before they breach Polish airspace. This finding comes from a poll conducted by IBRiS for the newspaper "Rzeczpospolita."

The survey revealed that 58.7% of respondents support preemptive siren activation, while 27.2% disagree, and 14.1% are undecided. The incident that prompted this discussion occurred on July 30, when a Russian missile briefly entered Polish territory near Tarnawa-Kolonia. Although no sirens were sounded then, residents of the Lublin and Subcarpathian voivodeships received text alerts about a large-scale Russian air attack on western Ukraine on August 20.

Support for preemptive warnings is notably higher in the eastern Polish provinces, where 71% of residents favor activating sirens when an attack targets western Ukraine. In contrast, only 21% in this region oppose the idea, and 8% are undecided. This sentiment appears to transcend political divides, with similar levels of support among voters for both the ruling coalition and the opposition.

The Polish government is reportedly working on new procedures for such scenarios. The Ministry of Interior and Administration (MSWiA) is considering allowing sirens to be activated when Russian drones or missiles are en route to Polish territory, aiming to bolster public preparedness and social resilience. The exact service responsible for triggering these alarms is still under consideration.